Casanova's Final Target
by Lil' Miss Mezzo
Summary: Now that Yi Jung has returned to Seoul after 4 years, he and Ga Eul have some catching up to do.
1. Chapter 1

Like every other day, Ga Eul laughed happily with the other children at the daycare center she had been working at for 2 years. Ever since that man left for Sweden, all she could think about was pottery and making things with her hands. Now that she and Jan Di no longer work at the porridge shop, she had to find another occupation to take. Ga Eul always liked children...

_'What the heck?'_ she thought to herself one day. _'Might as well give it a try.'_

Since she signed up to work at the local daycare center, she made sure to always make time to play with clay and shape them into objects. The children enjoyed her enthusiasm and the excitement she brought, and seemed to be interested in her stories about the one she called her boyfriend...

"How is he, Miss Ga Eul?" one of the girls asked and got Ga Eul's attention. "Your boyfriend."

Ga Eul laughed nervously. "He's not my boyfriend, really. I'm sorry I told you that before." It was far too embarrassing for him to hear that she was calling him her boyfriend, but it never seemed like he minded. Did he really think she would call him that someday, especially when he wasn't around? Whenever the children called him Ga Eul's boyfriend, he never joined in to help her stop their words. What was really on his mind...?

Just as she was diving into her thoughts, many of the little kids caused an uproar to pull her back out. They were all herding toward the entrance and squeezing their faces against the glass; Ga Eul wondered what could be so exciting and peered out into the hallway above the children's heads. The reason of the moment was grilling in her head: what exactly were they waiting for...and why were they always giggling when looking up at her?

An epiphany finally lit up her face. She quickly turned her head toward the clock and saw that it was very close to 3 o'clock, the time her shift was over. The time she could be free to go.

The time he would come over to pick her up.

For the past two weeks, they saw each other at least once a day. Most of the time, that time would be when he arrived to retrieve her from her job. Sometimes, he would walk her home or take her to go sight-seeing around Seoul. Although she had already seen most of the town, Ga Eul never stopped being fascinated with him by her side and pointing out every beautiful aspect. Just recently, he showed her some of the new collections at his family museum before they would be placed on display; at first, he politely rejected the offer, but he insisted without hesitation.

Sure enough, he appeared at the door with his warm smile that always seemed to melt Ga Eul's heart. The children gathered around him in a clamoring excitement, leaving Ga Eul to watch him from afar as he greeted the young ones as well.

"Good afternoon," he said to the children in a sincere and clear tone. "How was today?"

Some of them nodded as others responded with voice. "It was fun!" one of them replied: a cute little girl he remembered seeing the first day he got back. "We played with the clay again and tried to make pots!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Really, now? How was Miss Ga Eul's clay?" At that, he looked up at her, which caught her surprise and left her breathless. Ga Eul's knees felt weak when she heard her name come from his lips. As she regained control of her body, she felt her own mouth pull up at the corners.

"Yi Jung seonbae..."

Instantly, he softly pushed through the little crowd and walked up to Ga Eul, his expression growing brighter with every step. Yi Jung stopped in an arm-length distance and dipped his head."Did you have a good day?"

She hyperactively nodded her head. Why did she always feel so jittery around Yi Jung?

Yi Jung sighed. "Well, ready to go?" Smiling brilliantly, he grabbed Ga Eul's hand and began dragging her to the way he came in. She stuttered and dragged her heels on the floor, but it didn't stop him; the F4 member was just too strong. Looking at the children with a desperate glance, she saw them waving them goodbye and grinning from ear to ear, happy to hear about the two of them being together.

Once they both walked out the main entrance, Yi Jung finally stopped to turn around and look at her. Ga Eul was out of breath, thankful that she had time to stop, but then looked up at him in bewilderment. "Where...are you...taking me?' she asked between breaths.

Yi Jung smiled. Seeing her confused and baffled always amused him. "We're just gonna go out for coffee," he told her simply. "I'm sure you'd like some, right? You look terribly exhausted."

At that, Ga Eul's expression turned sour. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and used both of her hands to cover her hands. "Oh, no! I stayed up late with Jan Di last night!" When her pouting face appeared between her palms, Yi Jung saw her cute depressed side. Up until now, there were some times when he became annoyed by her antics. Coming back from Sweden refreshed his exposure to her, and he became actually glad to see her mild blunders and sprees.

Giving a light tug, he was able to bring her back out of her worrying thoughts. "You look wonderful." After earning himself a blush across her face, he turned his head toward the park. "Let's go."

Halfway through the walk, Ga Eul was able to keep her pace close to his and they eventually walked side by side. They slowly started to talk about each other's days, and little by little, Yi Jung found interest in every little detail and never diverted his attention to anything else. There was a moment she almost fell face forward on a flat surface, but he was able to successfully catch her in time by the shoulders. After fixing her upright, he looked at her with some distress as she tried to catch her breath.

"You okay?" he asked. Ga Eul nodded with shaky confidence, which Yi Jung laughed at; he also found some humor at her moments of uncertainty. He immediately resumed their stroll to the coffee stand, this time with his arm slung around her shoulders. Ga Eul took notice of it before her cheeks turned red, but he didn't seem to notice her flushed appearance. However, Yi Jung kept on a sort of smug face for the rest of the walk.

As they passed by many pedestrians, Ga Eul couldn't help but see many angry glares come from the most beautiful women she could find in Korea. If she didn't know any better, they could have been super models taking a secret stroll on Seoul streets, but yet Yi Jung gave no mind to them.

Once they reached the entrance of the park, he stopped and turned toward a small coffee stand across the street. Yi Jung looked back at her with a smile. "How do you like your coffee?" he asked. For a moment, Ga Eul was surprised that he would consider how she would like it. Thinking about it for a few seconds, she replied hesitantly.

"With cream...and sugar...?"

With his smile growing even brighter, he nodded. "All right. It'll be my treat. Just wait here in the park." And with that, he turned to walk toward the coffee stand, leaving Ga Eul in his wake. As she turned to find a bench, she thought of all the times he had taken her to places, whether or not they've been influenced by Gu Jun Pyo's pleas to impress Jan Di. She thought of their first "date" that was meant to embarrass her ex-boyfriend: he had treated her so kindly despite the fact that it was supposed to be acting.

Once she found a seat, she made sure her skirt was neatly straight before sitting down. Ga Eul's eyes drifted toward the families and children in the middle of the park that wore bright grins and were surrounded by an aura of happiness. Thinking for a moment, she wondered how that type of happiness was ever possible, after looking back at Gu Jun Pyo and Jan Di's disastrous history.

_'Perhaps there are different kinds of happiness for everyone,'_ she thought to herself. Letting that mull through her head, Ga Eul couldn't help but smile inwardly.

"Hey there, little lady."

Her eyes shot up to see three scary-looking men towering over her meek form, with wide grins across their faces. There was something about their appearances, their large muscles and giant limbs, that made her sit frozen on the bench; each of them had leather gloves on their hands along with messy hair and ripped jeans. She couldn't help but feel terror growing within, and the urging desire to flee...

But what about Yi Jung? What would he think if he came back to see that she was nowhere to be found? Ga Eul couldn't bear to hurt his feeling without an explanation, no matter what the circumstances were.

Although she refused to leave until Yi Jung returned, the sinister aura surrounding the three men sent chills down her spine. Ga Eul turned her eyes down to the ground, trying to ignore their stares and eventually be left alone. She began to worry about what would happen, if she was whisked away without anyone noticing; surely, she wouldn't be able to fend them off herself.

"Would you like to come with us?" asked one of them that had spiky brown hair. He casually placed a hand on Ga Eul's shoulder, and his touch made her jump, but not in a good way. She instantly cringed under his hand, but she couldn't do anything. Once she looked back up, she saw how the other two curved around her and the bench, blocking any chance of a quick escape.

There was no way for her to confront them on her own; Ga Eul decided to do what she considered was the smart decision and try to run away head-on. Slowly getting up on her feet, she avoided their gazes. "Excuse me..."

Ga Eul quickly tried to wedge herself past two of the men and hopefully make a sprint toward the street and Yi Jung. By then, he would be coming back. As she pushed herself through who seemed to be the leader and one of his subordinates, they seemed to be lenient. She was easily able to push herself free, but she didn't dare stop for a little cheer. Her instincts told her to run, and run fast, no matter who was watching.

But just as she was about to make her sprint toward the coffee stand, a bulky hand latched onto her wrist and spun her around, making her face the leader again. Ga Eul's eyes looked up frighteningly at his, which were filled with malicious intent that she couldn't even imagine. Her body began to cringe even more, farther away from the man, but all escape routes were inaccessible at the moment.

"Woah, there." He said in a gentle tone that Ga Eul didn't buy. "Don't just run away. I was just wondering if you would like to spend some time with us. We can give you a whole time of fun."

She didn't like the way it sounded. In a futile attempt, she tried to back away, but the man's grip only became tighter. Not even tugging at her arm helped; she was like an animal ensnared by a hunter's trap, and who knew what would happen to her next.

_'Seonbae...'_

"Ga Eul?"

Quickly looking over her shoulder, Ga Eul saw none other than Yi Jung holding a carton of coffee in his left hand. Relief instantly washed over her as she felt the man's hand slip from her wrist. Yi Jung's expression appeared quizzical, but she could see in his eyes the anger and contempt caused by the scene before him.

"Who are you?" she could hear the man ask gruffly. Without a second thought, she quickly ran to Yi Jung's side and clung onto his right arm while keeping her head down. Yi Jung looked at her confusingly.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, and she could hear the suppressed anger in his voice. Ga Eul nodded too hard, hinting him at her level of fright. His jaw locked as he looked back at the three men, who now glared at him with vicious eyes.

Yi Jung wasn't one who immediately reverted to violent ways like Jun Pyo, but he also wasn't the type to bow down easily. "Gentlemen," he said kindly. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't scare her."

Thinking about what he said, the men laughed haughtily with each other and smirked at Yi Jung. "Well, now...her boyfriend doesn't seem too tough, begging people like this." One of the subordinates was able to catch Ga Eul's eye to wink at, and it made her shrivel up. Yi Jung gently pushed her behind him, guarding her from their repulsive eyes. In the blink of an eye, his own gaze turned ominous, urging the men to stand down.

"We'll give you a count to ten to walk away and leave the girl here." The leader began to crack his knuckles loudly, stalking closer toward Ga Eul and Yi Jung. In turn, the both of them began to back away to where Yi Jung arrived, but the other two quickly went around and circled them like how they did to Ga Eul a few moments ago. As they began their menacing chuckles, Yi Jung kept an arm by Ga Eul to make sure she wasn't whisked away without his knowledge.

She couldn't help but let out a little whimper. "Seonbae..."

Not too long afterward, she felt a rough hand land on her shoulder from behind, almost gripping as tightly as the first man. Ga Eul shrieked at the top of her lungs, her hands losing their grip from shock. Once Yi Jung felt her loosen her grip on his arm, he swung his left arm back, flinging the coffee straight into the face of one of the men and burning his skin with the hot liquid.

As the man screamed in pain, his hand inadvertently let go of Ga Eul, allowing Yi Jung to clasp her hand and try to run toward the exit. However, his efforts were in vain as the other minion grabbed his shoulder too roughly and tugged him back into the scene. Thinking quickly, he let go of Ga Eul's hand to spare her from being hurt, but it didn't help him from avoiding a gloved hand punching him across the face.

Ga Eul gasped in terror, but Yi Jung quickly retaliated with his own punch, forcing him into a fight with the bigger man. They clutched onto the other's shirt while throwing punches; unconsciously, Yi Jung made sure to only sparingly use his right hand, for since that incident years ago, he barely used it for anything strenuous.

But it didn't take long for the other men to quickly jump back into the fight. The first subordinate ferociously grabbed onto Yi Jung's right arm and held it tight while the second one grabbed his left. Yi Jung squirmed to break loose, but he gained no victory. As he struggled to free himself, he noticed the leader of the three walk in front of him while cracking his knuckles again, showing him a brief glimpse of the imminent future.

Yi Jung closed his eyes shut and braced himself for the oncoming fist that ran across his face. Once the pain began to kick in, he could taste the blood in his mouth, but not too much. From afar, Ga Eul screamed at the men with fear mixed with anger and frustration. "Stop it!!" he could hear her yell. "Leave him alone!!"

Hearing her agonizing cries made him feel worse; this was all he could do to protect her, but she was still feeling pain, albeit indirectly. Although she screamed for the man to stop, he continued to pummel Yi Jung not only in the face, but in his gut as well. Yi Jung gritted his teeth and groaned with exasperation, wondering if they would ever stop and just leave.

But it didn't seem like it was going to happen. He looked up at the leader with fatigued eyes; the dark smirk was still there, still fueled with angst. As Yi Jung gasped for breath, he expected more merciless beatings from the man...

Until Ga Eul shot up from behind him out of the blue. Her arms wrapped themselves tightly around the man's neck, trying to strangle him to divert his attention. Yi Jung watched in horror as she attempted to fend for herself; she gave it her all to hang on as the leader swaggered to throw her off. No matter how violently he moved, Ga Eul held on tight despite the jerks and twists she was forced through.

"Ga Eul! Ga Eul!!" Yi Jung tried to wrench his way free, but it was still hopeless. Together with the two minions, he watched the struggle between the leader and Ga Eul, although it was obvious of who was going to win. His whole reason for fighting despite the loss of his right arm was to protect Ga Eul, not thrust her into the center of it.

In almost no time at all, the leader was able to shake her off before she fell to the ground. Ga Eul stared up at him as he wheeled around to glare, losing all hopes of flirting with her anymore. "You bitch!" he screamed before grabbing a handful of her hair from the top and lifting her up. She grabbed onto his hands while gasping in pain, her hair tangled within his fingers, but she couldn't break herself free from his grasp. Not even her nails that were digging into his skin were of any help.

Yi Jung shot daggers at the unrelenting leader. "Let her go!!" he bellowed, but it was too slow to stop the firm hand from running across Ga Eul's face. As she felt the stinging pain spread through the rest of her face, her lips couldn't help but release a high-pitched shriek. She felt herself fall to the side and hit the ground again, incapacitated for a few moments before her hand rose to her bright red cheek while looking back at the man in terror.

"GA EUL!!" Yi Jung's eyes were too frantic compared to the calm and warm ones he always had. "You bastard! I'll kill you!!" Despite already knowing of her good girl ways, he never imagined her getting into such a situation that would physically hurt her. Even worse, it was his fault for leaving her by herself.

The leader turned back to Yi Jung, and they both entered a glaring battle filled with frustration and rage. As the last of his patience dwindled away, he screamed out in aggravation while pulling his limbs free of the men's grasps. They felt like ripping off, but he was able to keep them intact in the end, leaving the two men to reel back in confusion.

"What the...?"

Yi Jung didn't hesitate. He wheeled around and shot a left hook toward the man on the right and punched him across the face, which was quickly followed by a knee in the gut. As his victim cringed to the ground, Yi Jung clutched onto the other man's shirt with both of his hands. This guy didn't seem like he was wanting to fight, only trying to free himself from getting hurt, but Yi Jung didn't feel like being merciful anymore. His head brutally rammed into the man's skull, causing it to turn to mush before he fell down.

Gasping for breath, Yi Jung braced his hands against his knees for support; it's been too long since he engaged in a worthy brawl. But he wasn't done yet as he turned around to face the last one, who stared at him with wonder. "You...who ARE you??"

But he didn't bother to respond. Yi Jung staggered toward the man, carrying the heavy fatigue that struck his body. He could barely make another move, but his mind forced him to continue on, for all it ever thought of was Ga Eul's safety. Although his back was hunched, he continued to walk toward him, subconsciously bringing up one of his arms with a fist.

_'Almost there_,' he thought to himself. _'Just one more...and Ga Eul will be safe.'_

Giving his all, Yi Jung made one final swing against the man with his fist, unaware of what was around him. His eyelids dropped at the last moment, not even granting him the sight of beating the man. He growled one last time before lunging forward...

But then searing pain came from his right wrist, a torture that he thought he would never feel again. He gritted his teeth before screaming out in anguish, and his eyes flew open to see the man clutching tightly onto his right wrist.

His bad wrist ever since that night in the club.

The next thing he knew, Yi Jung was falling to his knees in less than a second. His left hand clutched onto the man's, trying to pry it off of his wrist, but that one move rendered him useless. As he uselessly struggled, he looked up at the man and saw the epiphany in his eyes: he already realized his weakness. It was all too late when the devilish grin played on his lips again...and his grip tightened immensely.

Hearing him cry out like that made Ga Eul want to cry. She never wanted to see him in such a painful state again, but there was nothing she could do. Now that the man had him by the wrist, Yi Jung could do nothing but scream and writhe in his hold.

"Stop!!" Ga Eul got to her feet in a flash and ran to the both of them, falling to her knees hen her hands landed atop theirs. The man looked down at her and glared with surprise; he had never seen a woman try so hard in a fight. Nevertheless, he pulled and tugged to shake the both of them off, but he was unsuccessful as they held on tightly together, scraping their nails to break his hold.

Yi Jung was able to look over at Ga Eul and see the determination written all over her face. Regret washed over him; not only was he unable to protect her, he was also getting saved by her, throwing herself into danger for him. Disgust began to fill him up and overflow, and all that would be left was a gloomy shell with no more reason for love.

Ga Eul whimpered loud enough for him to hear, and he sighed frustratingly. With his heart and wrist aching simultaneously, Yi Jung doubted if he could ever get out of this with Ga Eul safe...

Just when he felt like all his strength would disappear, a whistle sounded off in the air, and the struggle instantly stopped. The clatter of footsteps were drawing closer along with booming shouts.

"You there!! What are you doing?!"

Without hesitation, the man finally released his hold on Yi Jung's hand and began to sprint in the opposite direction from where the whistle came. Yi Jung fell to the ground, groaning as his right hand shook convulsively, the pain spreading throughout his entire arm. He didn't dare hold onto it with his left hand; it felt like anything could have damaged it at the moment. Carefully, Ga Eul lifted him up and placed his upper body atop her bent legs, looking worriedly at his hand. Neither of them took enough notice of the police running pas to catch the man that caused the damage.

"Seonbae..." Her voice cracked as she was trying to stifle the treacherous tears. "Your hand hasn't healed?"

Yi Jung took deep breaths. "Not...completely..." Shakily, his good hand clung to her knees as he rested the sore one on his chest. The way his finger clung onto her was as if he didn't want her to disappear and make her stay by his side. Ga Eul used her sleeve to dab the sweat off his face, but his grasp was still strong and firm. "I was supposed to take it easy...and then it would be all right again. But..."

As she bit her lip, Ga Eul took a wild guess at what he was about to say. "But then I had to get in trouble, and you hurt yourself..." Her tone was soft, her voice breaking with regret. If only she had the courage to walk away on her own, Yi Jung wouldn't have gone too far and injure himself.

Why did they have to feel so close? Many times over did he tell her that a relationship between them is impossible, but he always helps her in every tight spot she falls into. Personally, Ga Eul preferred for him to either ignore her completely, so that she knew she really had no chance...or actually accept her feelings be with her for the rest of her life. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she couldn't hold back the sniffle daring to come out.

As Yi Jung took his time to regain strength and composure, a policeman ran up to them and crouched down to their level. Ga Eul looked up at him while Yi Jung rested, but he was still able to hear the man's voice. "Are the two of you all right?" he asked them.

Ga Eul hesitated and looked down at Yi Jung as his eyes slowly began to flutter open. The man noticed how delicate his hand seemed to be. "Need an ambulance, son?"

Taking a deep breath, Yi Jung shook his head. He tried to sit himself upright, with Ga Eul for support behind him. His right hand began to twitch on his own, bringing sharp minor pains through his arm. Despite his condition, Yi Jung jokingly pulled out a smile to the policeman. "Just a bit of medication will do. I have it all at my home."

Still looking at him warily, the policeman nodded. "Right, then. Miss, are you going to accompany him?"

Ga Eul nodded. "Yes, of course." Thinking quickly, she got up into a crouch next to Yi Jung and carefully pulled his left arm over her shoulders before hoisting him to his feet. He felt some pain, but was actually relieved that it was Ga Eul helping him, like all other times before. With the escort of a few more policemen, Ga Eul was able to carry Yi Jung back toward the entrance. During the times she would quickly glance over at him, she could see the pain and embarrassment washing over his face, making her feel bad in return.

However, it wasn't the type of embarrassment Ga Eul was thinking about. Yi Jung thought about the true reason in his head...and he gritted his teeth with dissatisfaction.

* * *

She made sure to be delicate when wrapping his hand with the gauze, but once in a while, he would inhale sharply due to the pain.

"I'm sorry!" Ga Eul would say before starting again, but her expression would grow sadder and sadder. Yi Jung chuckled at her childish faces, which pulled him away from the pain and instead allowed him to focus on her.

"No...it's all right," he assured. As she continued to wrap his hand quietly, Yi Jung thoughts went back to the fight while he stared out the window into the dark night. The moon shone brightly through the glass, illuminating him and Ga Eul with its light, along with the first aid kit next to her on his bench. As he saw the men's faces appear in his mind again, he gritted his teeth, hoping to never see them again in real life. Many parts of the struggle appeared in his head...

Including Ga Eul's injury.

His face dropped instantly, his eyes filled with pain. Hesitantly, he peered out of the corner of his eye, observing Ga Eul's soft cheek, and saw a faint red blush beneath her skin. He could see the tracings of the brute's hand right before hearing her cry again in his head. Yi Jung shuddered as he looked away in shame, and it caught Ga Eul's attention.

"Hm?" She laid his hand down just as she finished it and tried to look at him. "Seonbae...are you all right?"

Pathetically, he scoffed at himself and pulled up a sarcastic smile. Although she asked him a question, Yi Jung didn't dare look back at her. "'All right'? I could have possibly ruined my hand even more today, and I couldn't even finish of those kind of guys." His left hand clenched tightly and shook with fury, which worried Ga Eul even more. "After all this time...I'm still useless."

And then his fury turned into sorrow as he looked down. "I couldn't...protect you..."

Ga Eul also wore a painful expression. "Seonbae..." She looked down at his wrapped hand that laid atop hers. Despite its condition, he still used it to help her and save her. Her only regret was that he had to injure himself to save her in the process. Thinking back, she remembered throwing herself on top of the leader to keep him from beating up Yi Jung, not considering the consequences...

"...I wouldn't just stand by..." She felt Yi Jung surprised eyes aimed at her as she looked away. Ga Eul placed her other hand atop his wrapped hand, holding it delicately. "You were getting hurt for my sake...If anything happened to you, I'd..." Caught off her guard, she felt small tears run down her cheeks. Just thinking about what could have happened if the police didn't come made her feel twisted inside. Ga Eul stifled to hold in her tears, but the thought was too painful to control.

As she fought to compose herself, she felt Yi Jung's hand slip out of hers and two arms wrap around her shoulders. He pulled her close, startling her as his chin rested on her shoulder while he exhaled sharply. Her eyes darted around as she tried to figure out what to do in such a situation. Although she felt like something must be done, a part of her wanted to stay in his embrace for a far longer time.

"I'm sorry..."

Ga Eul stopped any type of movement, staring off into space as she listened to his silent voice. She could hear the pain behind his words, and more tears brimmed in her eyes; it was still unbelievable to think of how important she was to him.

As she buried her face into his shoulder, Yi Jung's embrace tightened, as if he never wanted to let her out of his reach or even touch. "...I promise," he whispered. Hearing such words from him made Ga Eul choke on her own sobs; all that mattered to him was her own well-being, even placing it above his own.

"I promise...I'll protect you from now on."

She could hear the pure sincerity in his voice, affirming her that his words were true. Yi Jung yearned for her to believe him and forget all wrongs he committed toward her in the past, wondering if he would be completely forgiven for all of them. Ga Eul clung onto the coat on his back, trying to keep in the craving that she felt was wrong to have.

But just when she couldn't take it anymore, the hold on her was loosened, and she felt Yi Jung shift away from her the slightest bit. Ga Eul tried to look over to see what was wrong...but then she caught his gentle dark eyes looking straight at her, in contrast to how they were earlier in the day. Now, they held a sense of desire and longing, and there was no way for her to reject them. She could see exactly how charming he was; how long ago was it since she was this close to his face?

Yi Jung slowly closed his eyes as he leaned forward, and almost like a magnetic pull, Ga Eul's lips softly met his. At first, there was hesitation, but then he suddenly realized how soft and smooth they were, just like her skin. His good hand made its way to her face so he could hold it gently, making sure it wasn't all an illusion created in his head. In her own head, Ga Eul also doubted it as an illusion...but as soon as she placed a hand gingerly on his chest, her heart leaped when she could feel an authentic heartbeat vibrate beneath her palm, a little faster than normal. She finally realized why he was such a popular womanizer, especially when it came to parts like this: there was something about the way his lips moved, the way his touch felt that made women find him irresistible. However, this time, there was a more pleasant sensation, as if he was making sure to not be too rough. To think Yi Jung would still be careful, even at a time like this...Ga Eul finally saw the depth of his feelings for her, and it made her want to draw even closer to him.

Surprisingly, he caught a lavishing scent on her when he inhaled: a very floral aroma, close to cherry blossoms in the spring. The fragrance sent nullifying shocks down his spine, and it amazed him how much Ga Eul could annul his senses. Yi Jung wondered how long it would take for him to stay in control of his gentle side...until she couldn't help but let out a soft moan. She had never experienced a sensation such as this, which made her body instinctively crave for more. Ignoring the strain his right hand placed on him, Yi Jung used his whole arm to wrap around her body and pull her closer, and their bodies almost felt like melting together. Ga Eul's hands slid up his chest and tied themselves behind his neck, keeping him as her prisoner. In turn, he fastened his arms in a strong hold behind her back to make sure she didn't drift away.

After what seemed like hours, she finally pulled away her lips to take deep breaths, and her move allowed him to do the same. He rested his forehead against hers, still wanting to be in as much physical contact as possible.

"Seonbae..."

Yi Jung opened his eyes, looking at the close proximity of their bodies as his hands slid down to her waist. Her own hands placed themselves on his shoulders before she took a gulp and spoke.

"Please..." Ga Eul lifted her head to look into his eyes again, and he mimicked her moves. A warm smile was created by her lips, striking him by the beauty of it.

"Take care of me."

He froze for a moment, thinking about what she said, and tried to interpret it into his own words. He knew what she meant by them, and couldn't help but become filled with ecstasy. Not holding back, he gave a breathtaking smile that somehow made him shine brightly in her eyes.

Together, they began to laugh silently at the day's events as he kept on marveling at her beauty and kind heart. Yi Jung's hand came up and gently stroked her cheek with the lightest of touches, satisfied with his accomplishment of the one goal he had in mind when returning to Seoul.

Keeping Ga Eul's heart for himself.


	2. Chapter 2

The few streaks of light pierced through the blinds and shot toward her eyes. The early irritation began, her eyebrows furrowing as she slowly crawled out of slumber. It was difficult, however, since the sheets around her were as soft as silk. She nuzzled her head deeper into the pillow, and a battle of deep sleep ensued. Her mind was still trying to reactivate, pulling itself to reality...and the first thing that came to it was why there was a scent of cherry blossoms around her.

_'...Cherry blossoms...? We don't even live near such trees...'_

Curiosity got the best of her, and it was strong enough to draw her out of her dormancy. Taking a chance, Ga Eul peered through her eyelids...and saw wooden shutters slightly open to allow in the harsh light of day. _'Daytime...'_ It was around the time she would rise to get ready for work...but she knew it was the weekend, and all that was left for her to do was rest and try to have fun. Smiling at the idea, she decided to go back and rest her face in the incredibly soft pillow, trying to block out the sunlight...

That was going through shutters that_ weren't_ hers.

With her face still buried, she could feel her soft smile drop as she thought. She quickly turned her head back to the shutters, blinking a few times to clear out her blurred vision; it was true, and her mind wasn't deceiving her, despite her small hope that it was. The sunlight was the only thing illuminating the room...a room that still wasn't her own. As she propped herself up on her left arm, the sunlight stopped obscuring her vision, and she looked closer through the darkness. There were a few beautiful vases decorating the small tables set in the corners. A wooden dresser stood across the room from the bed, slightly open to reveal expensive clothing and accessories.

Ga Eul ran a hand through her hair, trying to cool herself down from all the confusion flowing into her head. "Wh...What?" Her throat was still a little thick from sleep, and she dropped her hand on the soft covers. She looked down at them: even those were made of silk, just like the pillow. Quickly gasping for breath, she tried to find out exactly what happened last night; she left work with Yi Jung, they went to the park, got in a little trouble, went back to his villa, and then...

Instinctively, her fingers rushed up to her lips, and then she finally remembered.

_'Seon...Seonbae and I...'_ Her mind was in too much of a panic to finish the sentence. Returning her hand on top of the blanket, she felt it land on something a bit hard, and her head snapped to its direction. The way her hand shaped itself on top, it almost matched if it weren't for the rough texture beneath the covers. Ga Eul felt it attached to something longer, coming from her backside. She turned her head to look over her shoulder...

And what she saw was something she couldn't believe.

Only an inch at most from her body, Yi Jung laid resting under the same sheets, his hair slightly disheveled and his face as calm as a child's in its sleep. He wore a clean white tee that became wrinkled overnight. She could hear his even breathing, and he seemed perfectly comfortable in his position, especially with his wrapped hand around Ga Eul's waist.

Her eyes widened in absolute shock, and she couldn't find her voice anymore. As her mouth gaped open, her legs acted on their own, crawling their way to the edge of the bed and eventually finding the wooden floor. Not even minding his hand, Ga Eul rushed out of the bed to make herself stand upright, throwing the covers off her body...but her strength didn't completely return yet, and she found herself collapsing to the floor.

"Kyah!"

The sound of her impact rang through the room, and it was enough to wake Yi Jung from his own sleep. His eyes snapped open, looking around the room while blinking a few times to find the reason of commotion. As he looked over at the floor, he was surprised to see Ga Eul leaning against the wall, directly beneath the window that also blinded him. She felt some pain from the fall, but her eyes were fixated on the now awake Yi Jung. In a flash, he got up on his hands to look down at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

She looked at his face, and didn't see the same kind of shock she felt about their predicament. Before she answered, her eyes darted around the room, making sure it wasn't a dream, and that he wasn't an illusion. Sure enough, they were truly in the same room in the early morning, meaning...

"S-Seonbae...where are we...?"

His expression already began to soften and slowly change as he thought, since he himself was still coming out of sleep. "We're at my villa," he told her with a grinning chuckle. "I didn't know if we were able to go back to your house so late at night."

As the wheels started turning in her head, a red blush ran across Ga Eul's face. She couldn't believe she spent the night with Yi Jung...but seeing that she was actually here, then there was no doubt what had happened last night had really happened. Looking down at her body, she saw that her first shirt was taken off and she was left in her white tank top and jeans. If it wasn't for the silk, Ga Eul might have had a bad night.

He was still laughing as he made his way off the bed and walked to the other side to her. Ga Eul saw that he wore synthetic pants...and wondered when he changed.

Just thinking about what happened made her head hurt; she must have been too dazed to remember clearly. _'We...kissed,'_ she thought, struggling at the word. She held her head with one hand, forcing the thoughts to go through. _'And then I...stayed here??'_

When she thought her head was about to explode, a hand was placed on hers on her head, and she looked up to see Yi Jung kneel down to her level. Although he had just woken up, his eyes seemed full of life and warmth as he looked at her. "Does it bother you?" he asked. Ga Eul just stared at him. "I'm sorry if you feel weird about this..." His face then looked apologetic, almost hurt, as if he went against her wishes. Of all things, the last thing on his wish list was to make her mad.

For a moment, Ga Eul forgot about the shock that their night together brought. All she could feel inside was pleasure and happiness that he was actually this close to her; her voice was lost, and she was hoping to use it to reassure him.

"Seonbae..." She managed to let out a tiny laugh, thinking it would perk up his mood even the slightest bit. "It's not that. I'm just...surprised, is all." Finally smiling, she took his hand into both of hers and laid them on her lap. Yi Jung looked at her with a quizzical expression, which she giggled at. "Everything's been so...wonderful, that I wondered if I was just dreaming or not."

That made him smile brightly, and she suddenly began to glow in his eyes. "So...you're not angry or scared at all?"

Ga Eul just shook her head. If there was any doubt in her head to begin with, it was all gone and banished forever. All that was left was for her to enjoy the fact that it was all true...and that Yi Jung's feelings were pure and only for her.

All too suddenly, Yi Jung tugged on her hands and jerked her toward him. His arms immediately wrapped around her slender form and held it close to his body, burying his face into her neck and shoulders. Ga Eul could feel his breath against her skin, and it sent chills all the way down her spine while she remembered to wrap her own arms around him.

"I'm glad," she heard him whisper. There was the sound of pleasure in his voice, making her feel satisfied of how she felt about everything. As she nestled in his warm embrace, Ga Eul wondered how it could all work; after some years of hesitation, were they actually going to start a relationship together?

* * *

With the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing, she expected herself to feel relaxed and calm. However...Ga Eul couldn't do anything with the millions of eyes glaring at the arm wrapped around her waist as they walked down the sidewalk. Looking at up Yi Jung, she could see him keep a composed, rather content, expression on his face as he led her through Seoul. Was she to expect more strolls like this?

"Ga Eul," he finally said before looking down at her. "Where do you want to go today? It's your day off, right?"

She thought about it for a moment...and realized there weren't really any plans for her special day. Usually, she spent time with Jan Di, but ever since Gu Jun Pyo came back, Ga Eul tried to make herself busy as much as possible.

Sighing to herself, she lightly shrugged. "I dunno. I think I'm fine with just walking around, getting some fresh air..."

Yi Jung smiled brightly. "Well, then...How about a place _I _want to go to?"

At first, she didn't respond to that; was she prepared for the worst? Ga Eul hoped it wouldn't be a place she would feel troubled, but she didn't know if her wishes reached Yi Jung. She didn't know if it was a risk to take...

But as long as Yi Jung was with her, she felt like she could take on anything. Nodding to herself, she looked up at him as he waited for an answer. "That's fine," she replied in a firm tone. "Where did you have in mind?"

There was a tug at her right side, and before Ga Eul knew it, Yi Jung was pulling her along as he hastened down the street, toward the shopping district. She stumbled to keep up, but he seemed far too eager to stay in pace with her. Taking another look at his face, she saw his expression morph into excitement...too much excitemen she expected.

"Seonbae...where are we going?"

He continued dragging her next to him, and he let out a small chuckle. "You'll see," he only told her. Ga Eul frowned at the short reply, meaning she just had to wait for the surprise she believed she didn't really want.

As they continued to walk, and as more eyes looked upon them in awe, Ga Eul saw a row of expensive stores waiting at the turn of a corner. She quickly looked over to the store on Yi Jung's left and read the big letters engraved where the brand name was to be. Her eyes almost bulged out when she realized the name of the store, and wondered to herself if it was just an illusion.

_'L...Louis Vuitton?!?!'_

She inwardly criticized her mind for trying to deceive her, but decided to ask Yi Jung to question her sanity. He continued to drag her around the corner, however, and stopped in the middle of a row of brand-name stores. Ga Eul was immediately left breathless, and she couldn't help but jerk her head left to right and see the most popular names in the fashion industry. Right next to Louis Vuitton was Tommy Hilfiger, and after that was Alexander McQueen. Across from Vuitton was Garavani, Chanel, and Dior; she could have gone on to see the other store names, but she was too overwhelmed by the closest stores by themselves. She saw the street dividing the two rows of stores filled with people going in and out of each department, carrying large stuffed bags with industry names on each of them. Everyone had expensive suits or classy high heels, sparkling sunglasses with diamonds, and gleaming jewelry on their persons.

Ga Eul's jaw was hanging by the time Yi Jung looked over at her. "Are you okay with shopping here?" he asked politely.

At first, there was no way she could deny the offer, but then the most important factor to consider popped in her head. Ga Eul stopped her oggling and looked at him with confusion. "I can't afford any of this..."

Yi Jung laughed with disbelief. "Who said you were buying?" Before she could respond, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a credit card wedged between two of his fingers. Ga Eul looked at it for a moment before switching back to him in worry.

"You're going to...B-But you can't! I don't have the money to repay--"

She was suddenly spun to the left, facing Yi Jung's smoldering eyes as he placed his hands on her shoulders. His face became a little serious, enough to marginally spook her, but also to make her aware of how serious he was.

"I didn't bring you here to put you in debt," he said gently. "Is it so wrong to spoil a girl once in a while?"

Ga Eul stared at him in wonder. "Seonbae..."

He held her head with one hand and softly pressed his lips onto her forehead. At the touch, she felt all her nerves relax, and the doubt and worry clouding her mind cleared up in an instant. After Ga Eul let out a tiny shudder, Yi Jung looked back into her eyes with a brighter gleam. Had she ever seen him any happier before this?

"Especially if it's _my_ girl."

Just when a blush ran across her cheeks, he dropped his hands and held onto one of hers. Yi Jung began to pull her again, more gently this time, and walked into the row of stores. Together, they looked left and right for a good brand to shop into, also taking into consideration how many customers were crowding the department.

As they wandered, Yi Jung suddenly stopped in front of Dolce & Gabbana, with Ga Eul almost bumping into him so suddenly. She looked up at the store name, and she gaped when he turned to her. "How about here?" he asked.

She really didn't care, for all she would probably do in the store anyway is admire the merchandise. Looking back at him, Ga Eul smiled and lightly nodded, which Yi Jung gratefully took in. He began towing her into the store; she didn't know where it was coming from, but Ga Eul sensed some spark of excitement as she walked through the doors, somehow hoping it was going to be a time she would never forget.

* * *

It was close to dusk when he finally stepped out and breathed some good fresh air. Looking around, he saw that the crowd had died down a little, and hoped that she would finally feel comfortable in coming out. Yi Jung turned back to the entrance of Dolce & Gabbana with a smile.

"Well?" he asked. "Aren't you coming out, or are you planning to live here?"

At first, she hesitated in the shadows, careful to avoid unwanted attention. But this was his plan all along: to make her the center of attention and show her to the world, and he wasn't going to stop halfway. After blowing out a deep breath, Ga Eul slowly stepped out of the doorway and allowed the gas lamp close by to illuminate her figure. She was fit into and ebony bubble dress stretching down to her slender calves. An asymmetric strap was adorned across her chest and around her left shoulder, latching onto a buckle in the back. As she fiddled with her front pockets, she twisted her ankle back and forth to observe the black Marni shoes that were forced onto her along with the silver hoop earrings and chain bracelet.

Once Yi Jung took in her entire figure, he couldn't help but be as amazed as the day he took her on their first "date". He was just glad that this time it was for real as he walked up to her hesitant form. "You like it?"

Ga Eul chuckled nervously. "...Thank you, seonbae...But, why did I have to get all dressed up?" As she pondered, she noticed how Yi Jung changed as well. His suit was made out of wool with 2 buttons in the front and flat front trousers. His shirt was dark blue and was tightened at the collar with a pure white necktie. "Are we going somewhere?"

He was glad she caught on. "As far as I know, you haven't been to my family's museum yet, have you?"

Thinking about it, she innocently shook her head. Ga Eul could never find the time or outfit appropriate enough to visit Korea's greatest art museum, even when she was already brought into F4's world.

"Well, there's a first for everything, right?" Yi Jung took her hand into his and held it gently. "Let's go."

As he began to tug, Ga Eul tried to stay firmly in place as she glossed over everything that happened. Yi Jung looked back at her curiously.

"So...We're going to see your exhibits?"

He chuckled at her simple-mindedness and nodded. Ga Eul was able to crack a smile as she thought about seeing the extravagant pieces of art, grateful that she was going to see them with her own eyes. Squeezing his hand, she began to walk with him side by side, smiling brightly along with him as they passed the awestruck shoppers gazing after them. A warm feeling felt floating in her chest, and it surged through her arm and fingers.

Yi Jung also felt something flow through his arm, because when he looked over at Ga Eul, she began to somehow glow again in his eyes. As they walked, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and a deep craving forced him to lean over and press his lips atop her head. Ga Eul almost felt like falling face forward into the sidewalk, but remembered to keep her balance. She looked up at Yi Jung, who grinned smugly while facing forward; as she predicted, he was very sly with his moves, and she couldn't help but literally fall for them sometimes.

Although she gave a childish pout, Ga Eul was ecstatic inside, and it made her even more anxious to see the exhibits awaiting them.

* * *

As expected, the large group of guests began to applaud and scream once they turned the corner. Ga Eul tried to keep her face down, but it didn't stop her from noticing at least thirty pairs of eyes sending daggers at her petite self. Of course admirers would come to the exhibit with the sole purpose of impressing Yi Jung and possibly snatching him; she began to wonder if the Casanova himself was aware of who would be in the crowd before the makeover.

After the crowd made a large enough aisle for them, he led Ga Eul down, hand in hand as she continued to try and obscure her face from view. She could see the flashes of camera lights around her, and the shouts of guests drowned out any thought she wanted to have. Most of their words were meant for Yi Jung, and Ga Eul felt like an obstacle in the way of their questions.

As they continued to walk, she noticed how he was walking at a slower pace than expected; Ga Eul knew he wouldn't just idly stop for cameras and fame. Finally lifting her face, she could see Yi Jung looking down at her blankly, as if he was waiting for her to do something. Putting all the noise around them on mute, Ga Eul tried to concentrate on exactly what he was trying to do...and then finally realized.

_'...I'm like an insecure date,'_ she told herself. Digging into the distant past, she could recall all the dates he had before her,and how flamboyant they seemed to be. All thoughts of them were negative, however, as Ga Eul despised them for their only desires of money and beauty.

But that wasn't it. The women were confident in themselves: they felt comfortable next to Yi Jung and held their heads high, although they did it a little too much. Ga Eul understood that was his goal, and that she had to prove herself to the world in order to make their relationship real. After all, they were soulmates, or at least in her mind.

When they reached the entrance, two valets greeted them and swung the front doors open. Yi Jung took Ga Eul's arm and looped it into his, acting like a true gentleman; she smiled to once again see how formal he can become. As he led her into the main hall, she already became dazzled by the beautiful artwork only found at his museum: ancient artifacts from different dynasties, Italian masterpieces and sculptures...Ga Eul couldn't help but marvel at all of them.

Yi Jung saw the fascination in her eyes...and became pleased himself with his accomplishment. As his other guests began to file in, he led Ga Eul around his exhibits, quietly explaining their histories to her and answering any curious questions she had. With every exhibit they passed, he could see her become more thrilled, and he couldn't help but smile with her.

He gently led her through the exhibits while keeping one arm around her...a limb that seemed to receive a million death glares from guests all around. As they walked, at least ten girls followed with suspicion, checking to see if their worst nightmares had come true. Sadly for them, they were practially having a nightmare. Ga Eul and Yi Jung, however, remained oblivious as they enjoyed the art, compliments and teases thrown into the mix.

As they were admiring unique artifacts from the Jin dynasty, a sudden urge ran through Ga Eul's body, something she couldn't hold in for too long. She looked up at Yi Jung in an almost apologetic manner and chuckled nervously. "Where's...the restroom?"

Yi Jung turned to a corner of the building where there were less people crowding the area. "It's over there," he said while pointing. When he looked back at her, there was a smile on his face. "Don't be too long, okay?"

As she thought of his question, Ga Eul laughed jokingly. "What does that mean?"

He hesitated for a moment, but then finally decided to speak. "It's just that...I'm starting to get anxious when I leave you by yourself." She suddenly realized what he was referring to, and shuddered at the memory.

Ga Eul made a silent pact to herself to stay out of trouble, mostly for his sake and keep him from getting hurt. The pain from the day before found a way to creep back into her, but she did her best to fight it. She gave him an assuring smile and nodded, which pleased Yi Jung. When he let her go, Ga Eul felt cold for a moment, but the remembered it was only temporary; her eyes quickly looked down at his hands, wishing to be back in them soon. She gave a convincing smile before walking to the designated area for the restroom, with Yi Jung watching her every step before she was out of plain sight. He felt the anxiety rising within him, and decided to burn it off by entertaining his own guests as he walked up to a group of distinguished businessmen.

* * *

Just as she stepped out of the ladies' room, she made sure her hair and dress were set right while in the shadows. Ga Eul poked her head out just to take a peek around the corner, and saw that many guests were still swarming the hallways to either view artwork or speak to Yi Jung. She hoped to somehow make her way back to his side, but from her viewpoint, it seemed almost impossible until later in the evening.

When she finally decided to take the chance and trek through the guests, a sudden wall of sophisticated and well-dressed women appeared before her. Another group of women quickly grouped up around her, denying her any passage to the exhibits. Ga Eul looked at them with confusion at first, but the pieces began to fall to place when she saw the scorning expressions on their faces. Her eyes darted straight down at her shoes, but it didn't make the chilled feeling run through her nerves.

She expected as much. Women like them don't let their target of affections go so easily. Heck, she was like them after the trip in Caledonia. However, she also knew her place and never went too far in expressing her own affections for Yi Jung.

"Why the hell is So Yi Jung allowing a plain girl like you to hang on him?"

The words cut through Ga Eul, but she kept up her defenses and appeared unhurt. She looked down at their expensive shoes, refusing to let their glares connect with her frustrated gaze. Some of them had stiletto heels, and they made Ga Eul worry about exactly how far this confrontation will go; she had heard jokes about snobby girl fights, and wished to never embroil in one of them.

As she denied words from coming out of her mouth, she heard one of the women in front scoff haughtily. "This bitch," the woman said in a low voice. "She doesn't know her place!" Her voice instantly rose to a shrieking tone, and it made Ga Eul jump out of her skin. Her head snapped up in time to see the beautiful woman come up in just two strides to raise her hand high in the air. She could already feel the pain surge through her body just by thinking about it; once the hand ran straight across her face, it barely made a difference, only creating a crimson mark on her cheek.

Ga Eul's head jerked to the side, almost giving her a whiplash in the process. The manicured nails made her skin burn even more, and the bulky rings didn't make it any better. She bit her lip to hold in the sheepish whimper; pride was one thing she despised, but she still wouldn't dare lose it because of these girls. As her hand shakily made its way to hold her cheek, scoffs and giggles sounded around her, and she finally knew that she was alone in this battle.

"You," she heard one of them start. "You think his heart is so easy to toy with?!"

She could have easily ignored their words. She could have certainly tried to walk away...but Ga Eul wasn't going to let hem go without getting their facts straight. If they were going to harass her about her relationship with Yi Jung, they may as well learn first. As she turned her head back to the one who slapped her, a fire sparked in her eyes, and she clenched her hands to hopefully make the rage subside.

"...His heart?" Her glare penetrated all of theirs, and they felt something change in her meager shy form. "What the hell do you know about his heart? All you ever think about are his looks and money...you don't know a thing about him!!"

At that moment, the wonderful traits and talents of Yi Jung ran through her mind. His honesty, his creativity, his determination...they all stood out to her more than his charms and wealth. She embraced all of his qualities, both good and bad, because it made him into the man she never wanted to let go. To think that she was so prejudice when they first met...she regretted not trying to know him from the very beginning. Ga Eul suddenly remembered the happiness she felt when Yi Jung told her he wouldn't give up pottery, the pain of his first love, and the anxiety of his return, and they made her realize she was different from the many women now surrounding her. Getting lost in her own thoughts, she finally comprehended exactly how she came to love him.

Just as she continued to think about Yi Jung, she felt a vicious tug atop her head, and it forced her head to pull back, straining her neck. Ga Eul gasped in pain, clutching onto the strong hand that was unwilling to release her. "What did you say bitch?!"

It was obvious they weren't going to let her walk away unharmed, and it made her worry if she would still be able to stand by the end of the night. Ga Eul closed her eyes shut, preparing for anything they had in store for her, and waiting for the hopeful moment when it would all end. But as the tugs and jerks continued, the belief started to grow weaker along with her strength; her head felt like falling off, and soon her entire body would probably be torn apart as well.

Everyone around her were silent, and her own voice was lost somewhere within. No one would ever bother to look their way, for they would be too busy to even say a word to Yi Jung. Even he wouldn't find his way to them...

"Ga Eul."

She almost cut off all her senses when the voice rang through her ears. Her eyes flew open, and saw that her vision was tilted as she found Yi Jung standing on what appeared to be the wall. All the women spun around and froze, some of them even gasping; the tugging of her head stopped immediately, but Ga Eul's head was still jumbled. She gasped for breath as she finally looked into his eyes...and saw the same anger from the day before.

"Seonbae..." Her fingers lightly tugged on the nails digging into her hair, but the girl didn't ease up in her frozen body. Yi Jung looked around at the girls with fabricated curiosity.

"Did you meet up with some friends?" he asked. Without a response, the girls only just looked at each other, begging silently of what to do. The one who clutched onto Ga Eul's strands instantly released them, and Ga Eul stumbled forward while regaining her balance. Yi Jung approached her quickly, paying no attention to his infatuated guests surrounding them.

He helped set her straight and fixed the ruined strands of hair on her head. "Well," he said after smiling only at Ga Eul. "Shall we leave now? I'd much rather avoid some of these guests for tonight...and I'm sure you're pretty tired yourself." Yi Jung tacked on that last part for the sake of their audience, who only stared at him dumbstruck. Of course he understood the situation, Ga Eul told herself. He would understand the world of infatuation and lust, being the playboy that he was.

Sighing deeply, Ga Eul nodded, allowing Yi Jung to wrap an arm around her shoulders and hold her close to his chest. She could still feel the women's eyes on her, bearig either shock or jealous fury, but also felt safe with Yi Jung as her shield. As she kept her head down, she noticed two dark shadows stretching from the exhibiton hall, standing still as if at attention.

"Please escort our lovely guests off the premises," she heard Yi Jung tell the figures politely. Immediately, the two figures strode past them and toward the women that cornered her, ordering in deep voices to take their leave. He quietly helped her to the front doors, and by the time they reached them, Yi Jung sighed with frustration. Ga Eul felt his chest rise and looked up with worry.

"Seonbae..."

"I'm so sorry," he said in a quiet yet hard voice. He buried his face in her hair, a gesture that hinted her that he was in some kind of pain. "I shouldn't have left you alone like that. If I just waited for you, then..."

As she listened to his words, Ga EUl felt her heart growing weaker. Who knew he would be in this much pain about not being there for her? She felt like blaming herself for not even standing up against them by herself. She didn't want him to worry about her like this; if only she had the strength to walk away...

Ga Eul stopped in her tracks when they were a block away from the museum, and Yi Jung stopped with her confused. "Seonbae..." She looked up at him with worry. "Don't blame yourself. I'm the one who needs to be more careful next time," she explained. "I should have expected this in the beginning, anyway. So please...smile."

It seemed like ages when it was only hours. All she wanted to see was the bright smile from earlier that always seemed to brighten her mood. The face Yi Jung currently wore made him look like a completely different person, so different that Ga Eul could barely recognize him. His eyes were full of distress...

Until she gently held the sides of his heads with her hands. Just the feel of her skin made him relax, and he sighed with relief before pulling up a weak smile. Ga Eul frowned at his low efforts...and her sudden change of expression made his smile pull wider and more earnestly.

"There," she said with a tone of satisfaction. They began to smile together, and Yi Jung couldn't help but kiss her forehead again. Once he leaned in, Ga Eul stayed perfectly still, enjoying the feel of his soft lips on her skin, and sighed with relief.

"I like this about you, seonbae." Her words left him confused for a moment. "You are able to take all my fears away," she explained.

As he smiled again, Yi Jung pulled her close and held her tight. He buried his face in her hair again and inhaled her scent, and he felt like heaven. Ga Eul wrapped her arms behind his shoulders and held onto them tightly, hoping to never leave his side again...

Hoping to stay there forever.


	3. Chapter 3

"Seonbae..." Her tone was close to sounding irritated, but it was hard for her to express negative feelings toward him. As she glared at him in the mirror's reflection, Yi Jung continued to have that smug expression on his face, as if he reached an accomplishment.

Ga Eul pouted. "Is this really necessary?"

He flashed a smile at her. "Of course. You want to look great tonight, right?"

As she tried her best to glare at him, the hairdresser's arm kept getting in her way, and Ga Eul decided to leave the battle for later. She felt the heat radiating from the hot iron as it twisted and shaped her hair into beautiful curls. It was as if she was reliving the night they gave her ex-boyfriend a payback, only now Yi Jung was paying full attention to her. The only setback was that her nails were getting done as well. All she could move were her eyes, but it would be inevitable when they would start to work on their make-up.

For some reason, Yi Jung felt the need to secretly ambush her after she got out of work and drag her to a Prada store. She almost questioned his motives until he pulled out the infamous card again, and it only meant more things for Ga Eul. Immediately, she began denying his offer and suggested to wear the bubble dress from last time, but that placed a sour expression on Yi Jung's face. With playful irritation, he explained how his girl wasn't going to wear the same thing twice, to Ga Eul's astonishment, and his remark left her stunned for the rest of the time as he dragged her through the store to find an outfit. Surprisingly, she found a black seamed shift dress to her liking. The jewel neckline came out comfortably, and some of the store attendants found black heels that went perfect with her outfit.

Yi Jung always dressed to impress, so once they left the store, he instantly took her to the hairdresser and called for their best to work on her. Next thing she knew, Ga Eul was sat into one of the seats and worked on like a famous model. The makeover crept up in irritation, and she became flustered with how Yi Jung forced all this on her without an advanced notice.

After leaning against a nearby table for some time, Yi Jung finally got to his feet and approached Ga Eul upon her crowded throne. The five people didn't bother him as he reached out and twisted a finger in a lock of hair.

"Make sure you do your best work," he told the hairdresser, who complied in response. When he looked back in the mirror, Yi Jung marveled at her processing beauty, and awaited when it would all be complete. In the end, he knew she would appreciate it; although she had her pride, Ga Eul could never turn down something from him, no matter how hard she tried.

She glared at him playfully in the mirror and pouted. "Just wait," she told him. "I'll get back at you one of these days."

Yi Jung chuckled. "We'll see," he replied.

* * *

Of course, many of the clubbing girls on the way were outraged at the new woman hanging on Yi Jung's arm, but they were all ignored. Instead, Yi Jung just smiled and waved as if they were humble bystanders as he walked by...leaving Ga Eul to hang her head in fear of angry glares.

"Ga Eul," she heard Yi Jung say that was only meant for her ears. "Don't worry about tonight; I'll take care of you."

He brought her to the usual club, hoping she wouldn't mind the terrible memories the place brought. Although he had agreed to go on a date with her, it wasn't exactly how she planned it to be when Yi Jung unexpectedly offered her to his father. Instead, Yi Jung had another goal in mind as he politely led Ga Eul into the club, bathing the both of them in strobe lights and amplified deafening music. The dance floor was crowded as usual, with everyone too busy dancing to notice them in the entrance hall.

Suspiciously, Ga Eul took note of how many women were present, and wondered how many of them _weren't _fans of the famous potter next to her. As doubt began to cloud her mind about their whole situation, she felt a little pat on her hand, which prompted her to look up at her date.

"You okay?" Yi Jung asked softly as he could to still be heard over the music.

She saw the concern in his eyes, and wanted to make them appear in their bright and usual selves. Confidently, Ga Eul nodded and gave a small smile. So long as Yi Jung was with her, she felt like she could endure anything, especially a night full of jealous women.

Nodding to her, Yi Jung continued to lead her down to the bar. As they approached, they quickly caught the attention of the bartender, who stood at the ready for their orders.

"Two martinis," Yi Jung told him before pointing up to the second floor, indicating where they would be sitting. The bartender immediately nodded, and Yi Jung turned back to Ga Eul with a smile. Once he motioned toward the stairs leading to the second floor, she complied and led the way, followed closely by her date.

Luckily, there was one table left empty in a good spot that had an excellent view of the stage. Yi Jung took Ga Eul's hand and towed her to the table, scooting in first and then allowing her to sit next to him. At first, she was hesitant and looked all around her. However, her dragging got on Yi Jung's nerves and made him sigh.

With one simple tug at her wrist, he made the girl fall into the seat next to him with a plop and surprised gasp."I'm going to keep you safe," he reminded her. "Just leave it to me."

She wanted to believe in his assurance, but Ga Eul wondered exactly how he was going to do it. Taking a chance, she nodded and gave him the reins.

Pulling up the corner of his mouth, Yi Jung instantly shifted his body to sit closer to her before swinging an arm over her shoulders. The sudden move caught her by surprise, but Ga Eul stayed in place and froze to look down at her hands in her lap. As a red blush came across her cheeks, she noticed Yi Jung's bandaged hand smoothly make its way to hers before holding it gently. Feeling her ears grow hot, she found the time to realize that it was the first time he actually held her hand genuinely. The only other times she could remember was on the fake date to get Jan Di and Jun Pyo together and her revenge on her ex-boyfriend, but those times were only acts.

Her hand was immobile in his palm, but Yi Jung didn't seem to mind; all he did was caress the back of her hand with his thumb to feel the smoothness of her skin. Ga Eul finally found the courage to look up...and saw that he was looking straight at her with the same smile.

"I've been wanting to take you out like this for a long time," he told her. "It was during the time I finally realized that I had feelings for you."

The blush was more prominent on her face, and Ga Eul began to chuckle nervously. She tried to look away...but then many furious women caught her eye as they watched not too far from her and Yi Jung's table. Fear overtook a part of her, and her hand instinctively tried to pull out of Yi Jung's...

But his soft grip refused to let go. After her futile effort, she turned her head to look back at him, and saw a somewhat dark look, but not enough to scare her. "Don't worry," he said softly. "They won't come. Not as long as I'm here."

In a silent cry for help, she clutched onto his arm with her free hand as she bit her lower lip. Now that he promised to protect her, Ga Eul could reveal the degree of her fear, and allowed him to take it away and replace it with his care.

Responding to her cry, Yi Jung lifted his hand and cupped her chin between his fingers before tilting her head back. He leaned over to look into her eyes, his face hovering just inches above hers; she was already mesmerized, but the fear still showed on her face.

Slowly, he brought his face closer to hers to shrink the short distance, his lips just brushing hers.

"This will probably piss them off," he whispered. As his soft voice rang through her ears, she could smell the scent of his delicious breath, and the memories of his smooth lips melting with hers flashed through her head. She tried to take deep breaths, but they didn't help calm her racing heart

His words surprised Ga Eul, and she couldn't help but look out of the corner of her eye. Was he really just teasing, or was he willing to go that far?

Surely enough, the women from earlier got up from their table and left, probably ashamed to see Yi Jung with a girl as plain as her.

_'This...was his plan?'_

Once they were out of sight, Yi Jung eased up and dropped his hand back into Ga Eul's lap as he chuckled with delight. Her heartbeat was still racing as she lifted her head back up, but she knew for sure the whole scene was just a ruse. Hoping for an explanation, her eyes looked over at Yi Jung with confusion along with a tiny hint of irritation.

"Sorry about that." His apologetic smile made her instantly forgive him. "But you'll probably thank me for this later. No one's gonna bother you for the rest of the night."

Ga Eul sighed with relief, and felt safe that he was actually aware of his dangerous admirers the whole time.

"So," he said out of the blue and his voice caught her attention. "I've been thinking...We should get out of Seoul for once. I'm sure you haven't gone anywhere when I was away."

She considered it for a few moments as she was lost in thought. Where could she go so that the both of them could enjoy themselves? Probably somewhere expensive, she guessed, or perhaps exotic. No particular attraction came to her mind...except one. When he was away, Ga Eul always seemed to remember the one place where she suddenly felt drawn to Yi Jung for the first time.

"...Caledonia..."

After the name crawled through her lips, she looked over at Yi Jung to see his reaction. He only looked at her with wonder, almost lost in his own thoughts until she continued on. A deep blush colored her face as the words came out in a rush. "I only went there once...and it was really nice. I've been wanting to visit again for some time." A little note popped in her head, reminding her how it was somehow a bad plan. Giving an apologetic smile of her own, she continued rambling. "But you've already been there too many times, so-"

"No. Caledonia's a good place. We'll go tomorrow."

Ga EUl only stared with amazement as his answer ran through her head at least twice. "Huh?"

But he shrugged in response. "It has been a while since I've been there. Since the time we went with the others in fact. However..."

A bright smile lit up his face, and it warned Ga Eul that something she could potentially dislike was about to come up.

"This time, it will just be us two."

She considered the idea, and found it to be perfect. Little to his surprise, she agreed with a nod. "Okay, that's fine." He wondered when Ga Eul became so lenient to his advances but ultimately decided to accept it. As he smile, Yi Jung turned back to the performing band and started to listen to their music, although his thoughts were far away with excitement for their upcoming trip. Ga Eul followed his gaze and became entertained along with him while reaching out and sipping her martini.

Surprisingly enough, she realized how comfortable she felt after all the worry she felt when they arrived at the club. With Yi Jung by her side, she felt safe and relaxed to forget all her fears...and anxious for their trip together.

* * *

His hand was practically glued to hers as they walked up the hill. Even though Ga Eul has been to the islands before, Yi Jung somehow felt the need to guide her everywhere, fearing the unlikely possibility of losing her from his sight. She didn't argue, however, and enjoyed the sightseeing of the beautiful views once again as he led her to an unspoken destination.

"Seonbae..."

He looked over his shoulder and smiled smugly. "We're almost there. Just a little bit farther."

She wanted to do a little sightseeing while standing still...but he seemed urgent in their destination, and Ga Eul didn't have the heart to turn down his hopes.

The closer they got to the top, the more familiar everything seemed. As she looked at the ledge railing, a faint image flashed through her head...

**_"Hey, take a picture for me."_**

**_He scoffed as the phone was placed in his hand and looked at her with disbelief. "You've done all the typical tourist things." He never minded the people visiting the islands so long as they didn't get in his way, but now that one of them was his responsibility..._**

**_So much for a vacation._**

**_"Wait a sec!" she exclaimed once he proposed that they should leave. A scowl appeared on his face to respond to her; Jun Pyo struck too many nerves to let him show any kindness to the girl._**

**_"You've looked over there," he said pointing out at the landscape. "You've taken a picture. Aren't you done yet?"_**

**_"Let's go look up there," she said nodding her head toward the cliff. Immediately, she made her way up the rest of the way, ignoring his calls about not being up there before. 'How can you miss this spot after being here so many times?' she thought in her head, and became a little irritated with the guy. Of course, she didn't really like him from the start. As she hastened, it got on her nerves how he was practically acting like her reluctant bodyguard._**

**_'Well, this is payback for this morning,' she thought as she reached the top._**

Once they finally reached the top, Yi Jung released her hand and continued walking while Ga Eul stayed in her spot and watched with curiosity. He passed the cannon monument in the middle of the platform and stared out at the village, seemingly ignoring the girl he just dragged along. She watched him stand at a familiar spot that left a hazy memory in her mind, and he stayed there for a long moment.

"This place..." he said out of the blue. "...is very precious to me. I recently suggested to the managers if they could mark this place as off-limits." A chuckle came out of him, and Ga Eul slowly walked up to his side.

"Why is that?" she asked. As though her question was unheard, Yi Jung continued to look out at the vast island. She was about to ask again before he turned to her with a meaningful look in his eyes, something that made her keep her mouth shut.

"It was at this very spot...when my feelings for you blossomed."

A crimson blush immediately ran across her face, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. It was as if his words were like hot glue that made their gazes connect, and there was no way to break free. Ga Eul's heart rate soared when she realized it wasn't until after that incident did her own feelings_'_ begin to develop.

_'So...**he** loved **me** first??'_

Yi Jung turned to her and reached out for her hands. The touch made jolt run through her, but it didn't offend him as he held them in the space between them and stared down as he held them gently.

"After that, you were like entertainment to me on this island, and I couldn't get you out of my mind. When we returned to Seoul, I tried to go back to my regular playboy days..." He smirked at the comment and checked Ga Eul's reaction before continuing.

"But then you kept following me. As I avoided you in the beginning, I thought I was just placing my self-proclaimed duties as a womanizer first...but the truth of it all was...I was denying my true feelings."

Her eyes traveled down to their hands, and Yi Jung followed her path. He noticed his right hand wrapped in the gauze, his thumb free of grazing against the back of her hand. "During the incident with my hand...and Eun Jae...I was lost in darkness, unable to get out, no matter what I did. But because of you, I was able to find a light inside, and it pushed me forward. I put everything in the past, and looked toward the future."

Ga Eul forced her eyes to look away, but it was hard to avoid his smoldering orbs. She tried to think of something else, to try and erase his words from her head...but the sensation of his fingers gently brushing her cheek was too hard to resist. Looking down at their hands, she noticed how he held both of hers in one hand.

"...You were always there for me, Ga Eul. I was wrong to put down your feelings...and I'm sorry."

She looked up at his face and saw a mix of worry and regret. It was painful to look at, but then a sad smile graced his features, making her worry even more about what was going on.

Yi Jung didn't know if it was the right time to do it, after everything he said. Would she accept his feelings from now on and stay by his side? Was it a risk he was willing to take after the rude rejections he gave her years ago?

For a moment, he had a feeling of being engulfed in darkness, the same loneliness and pain he felt back then for Eun Jae. It was rare for him to be left behind, and of all people, it was the one girl he loved the most. But with Ga Eul...the feelings were reciprocated in the beginning, and the loneliness washed away instantly after her efforts to find those billboards Eun Jae wanted to show him. From then on, he actually looked forward to her abrupt visits and flustered expressions, and it was in Sweden when he suddenly realized he wanted to see them again more than anything else.

Before she could be able to assure him that no apologies were needed, her eyes widened as Yi Jung unexpectedly lowered himself to kneel on one knee before her. His eyes continued to look up at her with a yearning buried deep within, and her heart was full of pain and joy at the same time.

Or rather...it was painful because it was heavy to contain the overflowing joy.

"Ga Eul...Like how you were there for me, I promise to be there for you...forever." he held her hands tightly, refusing to let them go at any time. Looking at his face, she could see the childish fear of rejection, and realized this was it: all of his feelings pouring out into this one moment.

"I'll be there every single day, listening to your words, holding you when you're sad, and protecting you from anything."

Ga Eul gripped his hands uncontrollably, unable to contain the tears that almost fell from her eyes. She only dreamed of him doing something like this, which she never really did want to see, for she didn't want him to do so much just to show his feelings for her.

Seeing her reaction, Yi Jung didn't know how much longer until she broke down. He feared it would be so bad that she wouldn't be able o give a response. Taking a deep breath, he took the chance as his hands gently gripped hers.

"Ga Eul...will you stay by my side from now on?"

She took longer than she wanted due to the tears she couldn't hold back any longer. As a few of them slowly dripped down her cheeks, Ga Eul looked through her blurry vision to see the desperation in his own eyes, awaiting a favorable reply. Ever since she and Jan Di entered high school, they made it a personal goal to find the ones they will love for the rest of their lives. At first, Ga Eul imagined it would have been a love-at-first-sight deal, but now that she's snagged the heart of a well-known playboy, she found it hard to believe it was her who made him have a change of heart. After getting to know him better, she realized she wanted to help him through his problems more than anyone else and protect his well-shaded kindness.

"...Yes." After she whispered the word, a soft smile pulled her lips up to assure her reply, and a bright grin came across Yi Jung's face as well.

Unable to control himself, he instantly got to his feet and leaned over to crush his lips onto hers. Ga Eul could feel his urgency, but couldn't respond again due to the shock. She could feel one of his hands press on the small of her back while the other held her head gently. Once the shock passed over, all she could feel inside was happiness and a dizzy feeling from the way he held her. Ga Eul threw her arms over his shoulder and locked them behind his neck to help her stand on her own feet when her legs started to give out. It was like he was sapping all the energy out of her, but yet she wanted more.

He could taste the tears on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't stop to wipe them. Her soft lips melded with his, making it impossible to break free. In his mind, there was no explanation for the way he acted; all he knew was hat the moment she said the one word he wanted to hear, Yi Jung lost himself and was blinded by the joy that filled his heart. He couldn't resist the fact that Ga Eul was now officially his, and it seemed like it was only a few seconds when it was close to a minute.

When Yi Jung finally, albeit reluctantly, pulled his face away, he opened his eyes to see Ga Eul almost out of breath like him. He pulled his hand away from the back of her head and cupped her chin, and her eyes fluttered open. Her lips seemed to quiver for a moment, until something unexpectedly came out of them.

"Yi Jung..."

He had hoped to hear his name without the honorific, and he realized that she finally grasped their relationship in her mind.

"Thank you," he whispered before wrapping his arms around her, tightening them into an embrace. Ga Eul buried her face into his shoulder, trying to stop the tears as he rested his cheek atop her head.

The cool breeze blew past them and sent shiver down their spines...but none of it mattered so long as they were close together now that they knew everything was real.

They both wanted each other...and neither of them wanted to let the other go.


	4. Chapter 4

:O :O :O  
This is amazing."Casanova's Final Target" has the most favorites and alerts I have ever had. Thank you all so much for reading my story! :D  
And I want to apologize for not updating for a while. It's not that I don't have inspiration or anything; I already got the whole story drafted out waiting to be all typed up. There's just not enough time since college started for me, and as a first-time freshman, there were a LOT of adjustments, like not needing to get up so early every day or having Fridays off since I have no classes scheduled that day. Those are awesome pluses. And I have a debut to plan, coming up in just two weeks, so...until the first part of October passes, I won't be able to update as much as I want to. And college itself is a big thing, cuz I'm uber stressing about getting everything right and getting high grades... T_T  
Now that I have finally addressed to my readers, let's get this show on the road, shall we? :)

_**"If I tell you I love you, can I keep you forever?"**_

On Monday, he brought flowers to her work. On Tuesday, he took her out for dinner. Wednesday was filled with strolling though Seoul, and Thursday was an exhibition at his family's museum...but with security guards this time. Even when she had to go to the restroom, female personnel went with her inside while others made sure no one entered.

The point was that Ga Eul practically had no time to relax from the angst that came with being with Yi Jung, but it wasn't that she completely hated it. She loved every moment she spent with him, but it was still hard to ignore the hatred and glares from the hardheaded admirers around him. The older sisters who came to pick up their younger siblings from the daycare center would treat her coldly and try to avoid her, sometimes scoffing at the sight of Ga Eul. It got her down most of the time, but she would put on her happy face when Yi Jung would appear minutes later.

But it wasn't like he was completely oblivious to the abuse she was suffering.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked after picking her up Friday afternoon. He decided to take his car to pick her up, and it didn't help rid of all the unwanted eyes around them when Ga Eul stepped out of the daycare building. She sat down in the passenger seat while his question was asked, but she stayed silent and kept her eyes forward.

"Ga Eul?" He looked over at her face, but she seemed to continue ignoring him. Yi Jung could see the strain on her face, making the effort of not showing the emotion beneath her eyes.

"...Whatever you want to do," she replied quietly with a hesitant smile. Her eyes didn't look at him, and it bothered Yi Jung that they hadn't made direct eye contact yet.

What was she nervous about? Wasn't everything basically set in stone just last week on Caledonia? That was what Yi Jung thought at least, and he believed Ga Eul thought so, too.

_'I might be thinking about it too much,'_ he amended on her behalf. Taking that as the case, he fell back into his seat and chuckled, but he wasn't able to hide the frustrated emotion completely. "Okay. We'll just hang around my workplace, then."

She looked at him with surprise while he started the convertible. "Huh?" This was a sudden change of pace: usually, they went somewhere extravagant or where Ga Eul had never ventured before...but Yi Jung just seemed to have nothing planned for them.

Paranoia swept over her as he drove down the street. What if something had changed in him over the past week? Had he reconsidered their relationship and planned to dump her? Ga Eul thought it was reasonable, what with their difference in status and characters, but it was still painful to think that he would want to be done with her so soon.

_'Wait,'_ she told herself cautiously. _'How can I just suddenly think like that? I need to have faith in him! What's wrong? Is there just not enough faith in myself? What if there is a problem with all this...because of me?! I must be completely wrong for Yi Jung...'_ The brain meltdown caused her to exhale sharply in confusion as her eyebrows pulled together and a frown pulled her lips down.

_'What do I do??'_

She could barely even glance at him during the drive. As the guilt for doubting him started to cloud her mind, even more thoughts came to her. How soon would he dump her? In a month or two? A few weeks? Maybe even in just a couple of days when some gravure idol catches his eye.

It was too good to be true to begin with: it's basically impossible to think that she would have the chance to stay with Yi Jung forever. He would never want a relationship like that with a girl other than Cha Eun Jae, and Ga Eul was definitely no exception.

This was unreasonable: she wanted to stay with him for as long as possible...but the hatred and rejection of their relationship started to make her known, notorious in fact. Was there any way for her to be with Yi Jung without the hassle of jealousy?

As they pulled up to his workplace, he quickly turned off the engine and opened his door to get out. His speed caught Ga Eul's eye, especially when he came over to her side and opened her door with a smile on his face.

"Yi Jung..."

He held out his hand in response, still keeping the perfect grin on. "Well? Are you gonna come out?"

After some hesitation, she took a tiny gulp and took his hand. Yi Jung led her out of his convertible with poise before closing the door behind her. He held her hand tightly to his side as he casually led her up to the front door, with every step making Ga Eul worry even more. Just what exactly was on his mind?

All the stress was too much for her, and the fact that she couldn't get into Yi Jung's mind made it even worse. _'Is this how it's gonna be?'_ Her eyebrows pulled together as the debate inside her restarted. _'No...I can't deal with his...If I don't even know what's going on between us. How can we keep this up any longer??'_

Unlocking the door, he pushed it open and led her inside, allowing the cool air to bathe the both of them. It barely helped Ga Eul relax, not even when he finally let go of her hand and walked toward the counter. Yi Jung silently stretched his arms out and leaned against the counter, looking around as if he was ignoring the girl he dragged inside with him.

"Yi Jung..." She felt like her voice was forbidden to make a sound, what with the awkward atmosphere created around them. His change frightened her too much, and a part of her wanted to escape, hoping it would pass over with her absence.

This was it: she knew the end would be inevitable. Ga Eul just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. At her sides, her hands clenched and unclenched nervously; now that she knew it was coming, she may as well prepare herself for the lashing words of rejection.

"I'm terrible..."

Ga Eul's eyes widened and her body froze in place. She didn't want those kinds of words coming from Yi Jung, especially when everything was her fault. Why did she have to act so hesitant? Her worry must have been obvious on her face...and he was misinterpreting it. She wanted to deny his claims, but as they started to come up, they all clogged the passage in her throat, as if the very first sentence wasn't willing to be exposed at fault. _**"No, I am."**_

Yi Jung sighed, but still didn't turn back to her. He raised his head to look out the window, lost in his own thoughts. "I can't even make you happy after working all day. What can I do for you?"

She wanted to rush up and assure him that he did nothing wrong, but Ga Eul couldn't find the strength to take even a step.

"Ga Eul…" When he finally turned to face her, there was desperation in his eyes that wrung her heart. Some type of pain was in his mind, and something told Ga Eul that it started with her.

'_No…Why?'_ It wasn't what she wanted. What she sought for was any kind of relief, any hope for the end of them…albeit reluctantly. If it was for him, she would go as far as ending their relationship, even if it meant betraying her heart.

Without saying a word, Yi Jung's feet began to drag him toward her still form. There was an agitation within him, something eating him up inside, and Ga Eul had no idea of how to heal it…

Except through one painful method that seemed to be the best. She felt like she was split in half: one side wanted to go with the method and leave behind her life with Yi Jung to restart anew. No explanation would be needed this early, just a simple realization that they could never work out. Her rationalization from earlier handled the problem of post break-up depression: find another, and leave all troubles behind. The other side, however, screamed at her to forget the worry and stay by his side.

The deciding factor was the motivation to help make her choice.

Yi Jung stopped just stopped one stride away from her and stared deeply into her eyes. "It's making you anxious, isn't it?" he finally asked. "Our relationship…"

She bit her tongue when he hit the mark. How did he know so much about her in such little time? Was this what he was thinking about when he was in Sweden: to get to know her?

In defense, Ga Eul nervously shook her head, but the gesture already gave her away. Yi Jung smiled pitifully at her attempt.

"It's my fault," he told her as well as himself. "If only I didn't build up that reputation…" His face was full of remorse, inflicting more pain on her heart.

She turned her face away, afraid to see even more of the pain she was just adding to. _'No more,'_ she told herself. _'We're both hurting…because of me. For him…I have to—'_

All her thoughts disappeared when firm hands curved around her cheeks and forced her to turn back to Yi Jung, whose face was suddenly inches from hers. He noticed how fast the blush raced across her face, but even the close proximity didn't lift his mood.

"If you leave now, right when I finally have you…"

His hands didn't let go, but they were too gentle to slip away from. Ga Eul was able to hold in her tears, for she realized how ridiculous she thought she was.

It was foolish of her to doubt their love for her benefit of safety. Yi Jung was able to overlook all the admirers and obstacles for her; why couldn't she do the same for him?

"I love you."

The words he whispered made the tears pile up even before she realized what came out of his mouth. All she could do was stare at him incredulously, astounded how easy it as for him to say the words. They helped her see just how much Yi Jung valued her despite all the doubt that augmented within her.

Delicately, she brought her hand up to clutch onto one of his that held her face, assuring him that she understood his words.

"Don't leave," he continued. "Stay here…forever."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and nodded, forgetting that some of the tears were still welled up. As they ran down her cheeks, Yi Jung wiped them away gently to keep them from ruining her face. He wanted to stop all the reluctance and pain in her heart and protect her from the malicious words of society. He was already aware of the pressure of the public on her, which made him worry from the beginning, but he was too overwhelmed with his feelings for Ga Eul to keep considering them.

Yi Jung dropped his hands after the last drop vanished so they could take in her own hands, holding them in the space between. Leaning forward, he softly rested his head atop of Ga Eul's before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"…You're quite a handful."

Once silence followed his words, he became glad that her quiet chuckle broke through. His laughter accompanied hers, and it was as if a heavy weight was suddenly lifted off her chest. All the sadness was suppressed from her mind, and the grasp on his hand grew tighter out of joy.

"But I'll take it," he finished just before lifting his head. Ga Eul lifted her face to look up at him…and saw the warm smile on his face that seemed to somehow brighten everything. Deep in her heart, she wanted to see the smile for the rest of her life, banishing every thought she had of leaving him.

Somehow, those three words glued her to Yi Jung permanently, as if they were the cure to her depressing doubts.

'_He can keep me,'_ she thought happily. _'And nothing can make me reconsider this.'_

_

* * *

_

_..._I definitely had some writer's block with this. I may or may not go back and edit this later, but I just really wanted to update and get some z's. The gist was that Ga Eul was feeling really nervous about the fangirls, became paranoid that her love with Yi Jung isn't everlasting, and resolved to end it before any major heartbreaks. Luckily, Yi Jung was able to see the worry in time and assured her that his feelings were true and proves it with the "I love you", hence the love quote on top.

Thanks for reading this crummy chapter (in my opinion, crummy at least). I hope to update soon! ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

**_"So close, that not until she closes her eyes, I fall asleep."_**

Once the tears finally stopped, she actually became too exhausted to leave, much to their surprise. He didn't mind, however, and just smiled at her childish guilt. Neither of them felt like moving or leaving his bed, now that they were so close to each other.

"What exactly made you think like that earlier?" he asked her quietly. He made it hard for Ga Eul to reply when his fingers delicately brushed against her cheek, which sent shivers uncontrollably down her spine. Her body reflexively shifted closer to Yi Jung, her head tucked just underneath his chin. In embarrassment to the question, she buried her face in his shoulder, and he chuckled at his reluctant ways. "You're not going to tell me?"

Slightly tilting her head, Ga Eu peeked at him with an irritated glare. "How come I can never keep something from you?"

Yi Jung just innocently shrugged. "That's your problem. I'm not against it, though." A sly smile pulled the corners of his lips up, making Ga Eul sigh with defeat. She finally decided to let it all out and sat up straight and proper. Yi Jung followed suit, curiously looking at her eyes that were lost in deep thought.

How could she possibly tell him such an embarrassing story? It was her fault to begin with by making up ridiculous fantasies; as if Yi Jung would just be simply playing with her this whole time. Still...

"I guess..." She started, but it took all her might to continue. "It still never made sense for you to love me like this," she confessed while looking back at Yi Jung with confused eyes. "You have so much more than me: much better things, more options. But you chose me...and I wonder whether or not you're actually serious about it at all."

She got up on her elbows, her eyebrows creasing her forehead. As she looked down at Yi Jung, her mind began to race again for an answer, but not so fasst this time. She already knew that he was earnest in starting a serious relationship.

She just wanted to know why.

Yi Jung gently smiled before raising his hand to brush his fingers against her soft cheek. The sensation sent shocks down her spine, and she couldn't hold back the gasp. No matter how stressed her nerves got, his touch always seemed to calm her down.

His thumb gently grazed against her lower lip, hoping the contact would suffice for his inner urge. Instead, he transferred the need into his eyes, which he used to stare ddeply into Ga Eul's.

"Ga Eul...you've been chasing after me for 5 years with no regret, and you were determined to catch up to me." He began to shake his head in disbelief, and it made her anxious to hear his answer. "If I wasn't serious, I would have never come back for you."

In a way, it was the truth. With the way she followed him, Ga Eul would have been automatically labeled as a stalker if he never felt the same way. His feelings were genuine, though, and that was all that she hoped for within a soulmate...

Someone who wanted to be with her for the rest of their lives.

She felt awful for even having those kinds of emotions earlier. At least she now knew that they both wanted each other, regardless of status or past histories. Heck, even Yi Jung asked her to stay with him.

Her mind finally came to an answer, the one way to mend all this mess caused by her foolish paranoia. Ga Eul looked at Yi Jung square in the eye, making sure her words would come out in the way she hoped.

"Yi Jung...I'll stay with you."

At this, he lifted his eyebrows in surprise; he didn't expect her to say it so openly and boldly. The first time she confessed her feelings, she was a bit hesitant, especially after seeing his aggravated mood due to his injury. After treating her so coldly, he never thought she would have the courage to do it again.

"The way I acted was so idiotic," she continued. "So much for finding my soulmate; to actually doubt you...but no more," she finished while shaking her head. "I promise: I'll stay by your side forever."

Ga Eul promised herself to stick to those words. Fighting for this long wasn't going to go to waste, not this late in the game. Also, there was no way she was going to let Yi Jung down.

In response, a bright smile was plastered on his face, similar to the one in Caledonia. It amazed him how his relationship with Ga Eul just shot into his life like a shooting star through the dark sky. Everything about him became warmer and more positive, and it allowed him to face his past with Eun Jae and overcome it.

Ga Eul also smiled brightly, ecstatic that the darkness in her mind was gone...and she was left to be happy with the one man she truly loved. She nestled back into Yi Jung's embrace, much to his pleasure, and felt the long day take its effect. Yi Jung began to stoke her hair as softly as before, and all was peace and quiet...

Until she heard a soft melody coming from his chest. It didn't bother her relaxation; instead, it acted as a sort of lullaby and began to dull her senses. As her mind drifted in and out of consciousness, her hands anxiously clutched onto his shirt, keeping him from leaving her side at even the slightest chance.

His arms completely enveloped her, his nose filled up with her scent. The slow melody began to grow, and he couldn't help but sing softly.

**_"I love you more than anyone  
Inside my heart,  
Because you live in my heart.  
I'm going to meet you now,  
Bringing along the promise of forever.  
I'm so happy to be loving you."_**

If she still had the strength, she would have smiled so brightly to light up the dim room. Ga Eul never thought she could experience something like this, to love someone and be loved by someone to such a degree. Her hands never wanted to let go, but she could feel her mind drifting away, thanks to his voice. The last thing that rang through her ears was his perfect laugh, when his lips were close enough to whisper softly in them.

"You know...you inspired that one."

* * *

This chapter would have basically been a part of the last one, but the quotes were just too awesome that I wanted to use both of them. I think most of the future chapters will be like this short, since most of them will have quotes, but the ones that will develop the plot will be longer.

So their relationship is basically solidified in this one; the next couple of chapters will be some drabbles, I guess. Never did those before. Let's see how I do. :p

I'm sorry for the long wait. College is trying to murder me, not to mention WRITER'S BLOCK. Hopefully that will go away one day.

Hope you enjoyed! ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

**_"The spaces between your fingers were created so that another's could fill them in."_**

Hiding themselves from unwanted eyes was easier said than done. Even if they used tinted windows, no one would be able to miss to ostentatious orange convertible crawling through Seoul streets. Ga Eul sank deeper into her seat, shielding her eyes from seeing the wide eyes and dropped jaws just outside.

Of course, Yi Jung didn't mind. Ga Eul looked over to him and saw an oblivious gaze out the windshield, and his most content smile graced his features. For all she knew, he could be humming some show tunes right about now, what with the euphoric air he was giving off...and it was almost suffocating her.

Ga Eul sighed. "Couldn't we have just walked?" she whined. Yi Jung looked to his side with confusion.

"I thought you didn't want to be noticed by the people if we went around. That's why we're taking the car."

She looked at him exasperated. "And this car would go unnoticed here?!" she asked with every bit of sarcasm she could muster, and it made him grin devilishly at her frustration. Seeing how her thoughts wouldn't change his mind one bit, Ga Eul gave up and sank back in her chair, glaring intently out the window.

Yi Jung just kept his smirk up and went on driving. "Besides," he continued. "It would be very difficult to walk around today. Basically, everyone's gone shopping. Big sale today."

"We couldn't have just gone out some other day?" she asked with irritation, turning her eyes back to him. Ga Eul's head was still spinning with his sudden plans he laid on her yesterday, and it seemed it would take forever to break this habit.

There was an uncomfortable twist in his smirk, and it didn't go unnoticed. "Just wanted you to have some fun..." As Yi Jung's voice trailed off into silence, and she noticed just how much damage her stubborn peasant ways inflicted. Ga Eul tried to look past it and stay pissed...but resistance against him was absolutely futile.

With an exasperated sigh, she looked back out the window, hoping she made the right decision. The words struggled to break free, and she was losing fast.

"...All right! We'll look around. But nothing expensive!" She knew she was taking a big risk, but it would all be worth it to keep a smile on his face.

As she continued looking out the window, Yi Jung' lips pulled up radiantly at one corner. _'Success.'_

"You're smiling to yourself now, aren't you?" she asked with accusation in her voice. Refusing to turn to him, she waited for an answer.

With his lips still pulled, he answered in a calm tone. "No, I'm not."

"Yeah, you are," she shot right back. Her eyes quickly darted to him and saw the humble expression from before, which for some reason acted as a tranquilizer. The anger surely dissipated and all that was left was the childish pout.

Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

* * *

She cursed herself for the jinx that she was. Ga Eul closed her eyes tightly shut as the endless wave of bodies slammed against her sides. The heat was getting worse, and she felt like she could barely breathe, what with everyone else around taking up the rest of the oxygen.

But her mind was focused on squeezing the hand that she held in front of her. Yi Jung also tried to hold onto her hand tightly, making sure she didn't drift off into the crowd like a lost child. Every few seconds, he would glance over his shoulder to check if she was still there and continue on. In front of him, he held the few merchandise they bought together (which were still expensive, much to Ga Eul's dismay).

They felt safe in the stores they already walked into, but they had no other choice than to go back outside to become swamped in the crowd. Yi Jung would see the fear on her face, and he himself wondered whether or not it was really a good idea to have gone out in the first place.

_'Damn...I should have thought about crowd control.'_

But they couldn't just stay in a store forever. Releasing an exasperated sigh, YiJung finally realized there was only one option for them t take if they ever wanted to accomplish anything. He took Ga Eul's wrist into his hand and stormed straight out.

Ga Eul could only follow with anxiety, hoping she would be able to follow him wherever he went. Although she protested profoundly earlier, She found herself glad to just simply be spending time with him. She cared less about the clothes and items he bought her; as long as she could see him and hear his voice, nothing would rip the smile off her face.

As they battled to travel, Yi Jung's eyes heavily searched above the heads of the people around them. _'Where to next...?'_

"Ah! Look at that!"

Just when he turned his head to the direction of he ruckus, everyone suddenly began pushing and shoving to no end. It may have been a priceless piece, but all he could think about was the balance he was rapidly losing...

And the grip on Ga Eul's arm.

As they were swayed to and fro, his arm was stretched out even father, and he could barely see her over his shoulder. Yi Jung tried to shove through to make space for her, but they were all too resistant.

_'No!'_

Something hard was then shoved to the side of his face, knocking him to the ground on his knees. A sharp jolt ran through his head, but he immediately shook it off and focused himself. As he rubbed his temple soothingly with his fingers, it slowly came to him...

He suddenly looked at the hand he was using to rub his temple. It wasn't holding something anymore. With a gasp, his eyes darted up...and realized Ga Eul wasn't there. He searched above all the heads, but she couldn't be seen, nor could her voice be heard if she was even calling out to him to begin with.

"Ga Eul!"

Trying to look for her in this bunch was futile. With every passing second, Yi Jung's agitation seemed to grow even faster, and rationality wasn't going to help. He was aware she was capable to taking care of herself, and he had no reason to treat her like a child and drag her around...

But just knowing that she wasn't by his side drove him close to insanity.

Yi Jung acted fast and pulled out his cellphone. Mashing his first speed dial button, he hoped Ga Eul would be able to answer her phone as he continued to relentlessly search on foot.

* * *

Her eyes searched everywhere for his face, but Yi Jung was nowhere to be found. Even if she tried to go through the crowd to search, the probability was that she would end up in the same place again. As she made her way past the less aggressive pedestrians, she found a small bookshop which was almost empty except for the owner. She gave a sigh of relief as she walked up to its front and turned around to see the relentless sea of people...but she couldn't see Yi Jung anywhere.

_'What should I do?'_ Ga Eul thought worriedly, scratching her head with distress. _"I can't find Yi Jung...'_

Thinking quickly, she reached down into her pocket to fish out her cellphone. Her original hope was that there would be a signal available...but as the seconds ticked by, Ga Eul's hand remained empty. She checked all her other pockets in case of misplacement, but it all came out unsuccessful.

She bit her lower lip._ 'Oh, no...'_ Retracing her steps in her mind, she gasped as she realized that it was still sitting in the car, prohbably going off to no end because of Yi Jung's calls. Ga Eul cursed herself for being so stubborn to even forget her own phone.

_'And all he wanted to do was have some fun...'_

And the guilt began to choke her, with her head feeling like twenty pounds on her shoulders, prompting her to collapse onto the front steps of the store. She should have kept her ultimate goal in mind always: to make sure there was a smile on his face, no matter what the circumstances were. As the dark memories of his distres in Eun Jae came back to her, she remembered how she was somehow the link to their reunion. Just how much more troubles could Ga Eul give Yi Jung?

_'...Is he really looking for me? He should be angry and tired by now...'_

As she stared down at the ground with regret, she looked over at her hand that was holding Yi Jung's so weakly. The anger and worry melded together in her head as she clenched her hand tightly into a fist. How could she just easily let it slip through her fingers like a child?

When her eyes returned to the ground, Ga Eul's ears caught the sounds of footsteps among the rowdy crowd, but just realized it was everyone else rushing to their destination. However...

She began to hear a loud clatter of familiar expensive shoes, and as it grew louder, so did her eyes as she took a wild guess.

_'Is it...?'_

Taking the chance, Ga Eul looked up and saw none other than Yi Jung rushing up in deep breaths. His eyes were as wide as hers, but a little more frantic; his chest rose up and down, intaking the breaths heavily. Slowly, his face changed from angst to fatigue, but his eyes were fierce all the while.

"Ga Eul..." Yi Jung leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees for support. "Are you...okay?"

She stared with astonishment, but then quickly nodded her head. Getting up on her feet, Ga Eul walked up to him and watched him recompose himself. "Yi Jung...you've been looking for me?"

When he straightened his back, his eyes looked at her incredulously. "Of course!" he exclaimed, as if the answer was that obvious. "What did you think I was doing, having a cup of tea?" Without giving her a chance to answer, he closed the space between them and placed a hand on her cheek, making sure that she really was okay and that his eyes weren't deceiving him. "I can't not be worried when you just disappear like that."

He could feel the skin beneath his palm grow hot as a blush suddenly ran across her face. Ga Eul looked down in embarrassment and pursed her lips together.

"I'm sorry," she whispered...and it made him smile humbly. Without another word, Yi Jung wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight to him as he sighed with relief.

"Don't be," he replied as he pulled back to look into her eyes. She looked up at him with fear, and her nerves were relaxed after seeing his smile. "Well now, shall we get going?"

Ga Eul smiled as he treated the situation like any other day they spent together. Although she feared that this mishap may have created a rift between them, their feelings for each other were too strong to be suddenly at risk. She felt too grateful for a man like him to be by her side, and deeply wished this happiness would last forever.

Yi Jung held out his hand to her, and she gratefully took it with hers. As they turned to head back toward the car, Ga Eul looked down as she felt his warm fingers gracefully lace themselves between hers, keeping her hand in a perfect grip. She looked up and saw him beaming brightly at her, which in turn made her giggle with joy. Her hand felt so warm, and it seemed to eventually melt together with his, binding them together permanently.

Once they set out to his yellow convertible, Ga Eul felt all the worries from earlier instantly fade away, as if they had never occurred to begin with. What started out as such a fickle day turned out to be one of the happiest moments she had with Yi Jung yet, and she hoped there would be more to come in the near future.

* * *

Wow...I'm so sorry for not updating in so long. First, there were my final exams, and then I had a New Year trip to the Philippines...which meant hardly any Internet access. And right after I got back, there was school! X_X Even that needed some time to adjust to, and then I had driving test issues to deal with...

But even though I had these, I still wanted to write and update. I did, however, start a new story...even though I still have others to complete. This one is another Yi JungxGa Eul fic, but it's not gonna be posted here. When I do get around to posting it, it'll be on asianfanfiction (see my profile for details) under MissMezzo.

C ya next time! :)


	7. Chapter 7

_**"He whispered softly, his words like music to her ears, 'I love you'."**_

So Yi Jung quietly drove up to the main entrance of the daycare center with just ten minutes to spare. As he smiled to himself in the rear view mirror, he marveled at the transformation he made just by being at Ga Eul's side.

Before he left for Sweden, he was sure his life as a playboy was permanent...but now that he was with her, Yi Jung saw that even gravure idols didn't satisfy him in the least. She was like the antidote to the very poison he infected himself with that could have led his life in a degrading spiral, and he didn't hate her for being so. Even when Eun Jae was still lingering in his mind and heart, she never gave up in helping him heal his broken self.

He suddenly remembered her words from the time Jan Di and her family went missing, and it brought a dark cloud upon his bright mood. If she stayed true to them and left him alone for his sake, where could he possibly end up? He couldn't envision a future without Ga Eul somehow in it, and the thought of it being possible made him shudder. Just what was it about her that captured his whole heart and mind, to make him strive for her happiness?

His hand went toward his chest where a warm tingling sensation began to erupt. As his mind drifted to figure out what it was, Yi Jung actually welcomed the feeling, and his entire being felt like radiating, for every inch of his body was overflowing with happiness.

_'This is...pfft!'_ he inwardly scoffed at the idea that was far too cheesy to even say aloud. There was no way such a scene would ever happen to him...

But he couldn't deny the euphoria that brought a wide grin on his face. In fact, Yi Jung remembered feeling this way once years ago, when he was close to Eun Jae...only, it wasn't just as strong.

He recognized the sensation and sighed. _'Love,'_ he thought with embarrassing defeat. How could he be so smitten with a simple girl?

However, it was her very own simplicity that drew Yi Jung to her, and he felt grateful for it.

"Yi Jung."

He turned to the entrance and saw Ga Eul coming down the steps with a warm smile on her face. As her eyes shined with joy, he returned the smile before reaching out for her hands, which she gladly offered even though one of them was filled with the strap of her handbag.

Leaning forward, Yi Jung gave her a gentle peck on the cheek, but it was enough for the crimson blush to appear, leading him to chuckle.

"How was your day?" he asked politely.

In response, Ga Eul smiled. "Good. And yours?"

Yi Jung just shrugged, for it couldn't compare to the happiness he found on his way to pick her up.

He pulled her in and brought his face close to hers, and he could smell her sweet breath brushing against his face. As he resisted the urge to press his lips down on hers due to their location, he could see a hint of reluctance on her side as well...only stronger, as if she didn't want to do the deed altogether. Yi Jung wasn't used to this kind of strength in women; did she really want to try so hard to not make a scene? Although it seemed reasonable, he couldn't stop the mild irritation caused by her resistance. All the women he had ever met before greatly wished for his warm lips, some of them even trying to complete the move themselves.

She didn't expect another quick peck that was planted upon her lips, and Ga Eul opened her eyes wide with surprise. She was glad that he didn't go too far, but it was different from their other ones that practically left her breathless. As Ga Eul looked up at him, Yi Jung grinned smugly.

"Well? Ready to go?"

All she did was nod her head, the shock still plainly on her face. Yi Jung held back the dark smirk that was close to revealing his plan, and he was positive that Ga Eul would easily fall for it.

_'Just gotta break her loose...'_

Even though it's been a little more than a month, he found it surprising that Ga Eul would still be shy about them, even after all that time she pursued him.

But no matter - Yi Jung found it his goal to make her open up...no matter what it took.

As she still watched him with curiosity, a voice that was quiet in the back of her head suddenly grew louder, as it always did when Yi Jung was up to something. Everything looked normal when Yi Jung went around opening her door, but there was something about him that reminded her of his well-known devious tactics. Her body didn't turn to follow him and just stayed in place as she trailed off in thought. Should Ga Eul be on her guard? Was it still hard to trust his methods even when she knew Yi Jung would never intend to harm her?

Ga Eul turned around and looked Yi Jung in the eye, to which he lifted his eyebrows with apparent surprise. No matter how deep she dug, any trace of his deviant mind was gone, and she was left as a sitting duck, reluctantly waiting for whatever he had in store for her.

"Ga Eul?"

After giving the slightest pout, she went around and took her seat next to his in the car before Yi Jung gently closed the door. He turned back around and headed toward the driver's seat, making sure the smirk on his face was gone before she could even notice.

---------------

She didn't mind dressing up whenever he thought of going out on a date. She didn't even mind the expensive things he bought anymore, so long as the price wasn't too outrageous in her opinion.

What she did mind, however, was the idea of clubbing. A club meant a big crowd, which meant a lot of beautiful and jealous women. Yi Jung did promise last time that he would protect her from their threats, either direct or indirect. Would he still follow through on his promise?

When they arrived, they went up to the second floor and occupied a booth for themselves before ordering their usual drinks. Ga Eul quickly glanced around for any potential offenders before trying to relax and lean back into Yi Jung's arm...

But all she felt was the soft cushion of the seat they sat upon. With confusion, she looked to the side to find Yi Jung casually sitting next to her, a glass of martini in one hand. He looked bored to death, but his eyes suddenly filled with excitement when a pair of women in skimpier dresses than Ga Eul appeared before the both of them. Ga Eul stared at them with suspicion.

"Who are you?" she asked coldly. Yi Jung, however, smiled warmly at their guests, ignoring her remarks. He lifted his hand and motioned the women to have a seat with them, much to Ga Eul's dismay as her jaw dropped with astonishment. As the women shamelessly sat down on either side of them, Yi Jung began casually conversing with them, as if they were two extra dates that were additional to Ga Eul.

She wasn't satisfied at all with just sitting next to him. as he innocently laughed and chatted with the far more sophisticated women surrounding them. When her eyes tried to shoot a death glare in his direction, he gave it no attention and went on with his interaction. From afar, it looked all innocent...

But Ga Eul felt the anger boiling in every inch of her body. Wasn't he so eagerly trying to kiss her just a couple of hours ago? And now he's transformed back to his old self, who she thought was long gone. She thought with irritation: all this time they've been together, she had never seen him do something as insulting as flirting with other girls right in front of her, and intentionally to make it worse.

_'Wait...he must be trying to achieve something. I just know it.'_ She looked over at him again, hoping that he would look over to her - even just a small glance would suffice - but his eyes never left the two women.

Despite her efforts, Ga Eul couldn't restrain that evil green monster from appearing on her shoulder, and her eyes shot daggers at the two women, making them targets of her rage...

But with Yi Jung there, she felt her powers suddenly become limited, and she frowned with discontent. She wouldn't want to upset him in any way, but why did he have to do this to her??

As he continued to halfheartedly listen to one of the women's insipid life stories, Yi Jung's eyes quickly flickered over to Ga Eul, and the corner of his lip pulled up once she saw her desired discomfort. Luckily, his reaction was simultaneous with the women's laughter, and he wasn't caught for his plan.

When the laughter irritatingly ran through her ears, Ga Eul felt a vein pop on her temple, and she gritted her teeth. She's had it.

Unannounced, she shot up to her feet, without even glancing and the others' surprised looks. She walked with quick strides toward the stairs, heading down to the bar without looking back.

Her actions weren't exactly what Yi Jung wasn't expecting, and he quickly shifted to his spontaneous Plan B as he got up from between his two guests and left the booth.

"Where are you going?" he heard one of the women asked behind him. Yi Jung stopped and turned back to them with a pleasant smile.

"Thank you for your cooperation, but your part is done now. You two can go home."

The other one blinked with shock. "What? You were serious about your relationship with that young bumpkin?"

Even when the same smile was on his visage, his eyes darkened and turned that smile into a deviant smirk. He remembered vaguely introducing Ga Eul to them as he showered them with praises, which she must have failed to pick up in her irritation.

"That was the only honest thing I've told you all night," he murmured loud enough for them to hear before heading down to the bar.

* * *

She sighed as the tenth glass was handed toward her, and she reached out for it, but it took some time for her hands to find it. Her head was heavy on her shoulders, and she felt like losing consciousness any moment now. That last shot would do the trick; it would take her out of reality, get her away from this frustration. She knew Yi Jung didn't mean to make her go this far, but she allowed her emotions to take complete control of her.

Taking a big gulp, Ga Eul prepared herself for the long night ahead as she slowly raised the glass to her lips. Her eyelids closed themselves shut, holding her breath…

But a firm hand suddenly wretched it out of hers, making her sigh with frustration. Her hand curled up into a tight fist before slamming onto the counter.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" she yelled with a slur as she heard the glass being set down on. Her eyes were too heavy to open, however, which left her to only face in the direction where she heard a gentle but scolding voice.

"What are you doing?" it chided. "You weren't supposed to be like this…"

"Huh?!" Her voice was too loud for a normal response, but it was easily silenced with a hiccup.

"Aish…" The voice sounded too familiar, and it was last thing she wanted to hear for a while. "Okay, come on," it commanded as the hand clutched her wrist and pulled her to her wobbling feet. Even with her whining and loud protests, the mysterious person didn't let go and began dragging her through the dancing crowd toward the exit.

As he was doing so, however, Ga Eul heard the DJ announcing a very unexpected request. "Okay, y'all. We're taking things in a different direction today and putting in a slow jam. Hope you find this one quite entertaining for a change in the mood."

Her ears were filled with the soft tune of a saxophone that was playing a piano-like piece. As it started quiet, it eventually grew to sound like an orchestra, but Ga Eul couldn't hear it very clearly once she was dragged into the cool fresh air just outside the club.

"What's the big idea?" she said gruffly, but her grimace vanished once her head was rested upon a shoulder, and a gentle pair of arms wrapped around her back. His wonderful scent of cologne filled her nostrils, and even though she remembered her irritation with his earlier actions, Ga Eul actually felt relaxed in his embrace as he slowly led them in a slow dance in a circle. Her feet felt like dragging themselves rather than staying to the beat of the song, but he didn't seem to mind at all as he lifted most of her weight without struggling to continue the dance.

"_**You're in my arms,**_

_**And all the world is calm,**_

_**The music playing on for only two."**_

Her eyelids were still too heavy to open, and she remained baffled. When she found some control to use her feet, Ga Eul awkwardly followed him in the slow circle, and her cheeks began to blush at her regrettable actions earlier.

But a part of her was still confused.

"H…How come…"

She was able to hear him give his gentle laugh and felt his lips moving against her temple. "This is a little revenge for earlier today," he admitted innocently, not a single hint of regret in his voice. "It's kind of weird to keep our relationship away from the public when everybody already knows."

As the pieces came together, Ga Eul wanted to scream loud and childishly for ever falling for one of his master schemes again. She thought she had gotten used to his wild flirtatious ideas, but she never guessed for him to make it seem like she was out of the loop. If he wanted to talk about their PDAs, he could have just said so, instead of giving her the message through jealousy!

"I did want to kiss you," she explained while holding back her tone of irritation. "But out in public, just like that…"

Yi Jung chuckled again as he continued the dance. Now that his mission was accomplished, that warm sensation from before felt like it was growing endlessly in his chest.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ga Eul still muddling over the ruse he had just played out. His lips played a smirk before inclining toward her ear. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "You're right. Next time, I'll just tell you."

She was surprised by his change in attitude, after the trouble of setting all this up for her to get the message. Feeling like she had to give something in return, Ga Eul hesitated before stretching up on her toes and softly gave a peck on his cheek before burying her face into his shoulder.

"_**Almost believing this was not pretend,**_

_**And you're beside me and look how far we've come**_

_**So far we are so close."**_

In response, his grin was beaming; it could have blinded her if she dared to look. Instead, to express his gratitude, he lowered his head for his lips to hover just beside her ear.

"I love you."

A blush shot across her cheeks, but Ga Eul managed to hide it as she loudly sighed. "Yeah, yeah," she replied with embarrassment in her voice. "Just make sure you tell me next time."

As the song continued flowing harmoniously out of the club, Yi Jung and Ga Eul chuckled after looking back on the long day, and wondered if their time together would ever become easier to handle.

There was one thing they were happy about in their times together: each and every moment brought them closer until they were almost inseparable.

* * *

...A bit weak, in my opinion. Sorry about that; the next one will definitely be better...if I have time to work on it. The semester's almost over, and I got a lotta projects to work on.

Song was "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin. Absolutely love the song, but I don't own it.

Leave a review to perk me up. I haven't really been in Happy Town lately :(


	8. Chapter 8

"_**If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever."**_

There was a cool breeze, but not too cold since the sun struck down with just the right amount of heat and light. It reminded her of that day in Caledonia, but the sight wasn't comparable in the least.

The rows of flowers looked to stretch on forever, as if they covered each and every square inch of the earth. Each of the scents from the different species filled her nose with their sweet, fresh aromas. As she sighed with relief, her hand squeezed his tightly, and a bright smile graced her soft features. They couldn't find another soul

"Beautiful…"

He just shrugged halfheartedly. "They're all right."

She cocked an eyebrow and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "So Yi Jung…" He brought her all the way over to one of the most beautiful landscapes in Korea just to belittle it?

In response, he chuckled. "Yeah, they're beautiful," he amended. His eyes suddenly appeared glazed as he searched across the fields, pulling back distant memories that Ga Eul couldn't see.

"Before…I couldn't stand my father. He always found a way to piss me off once I got over his last fiasco. Everywhere I went, his face would still appear in my head, and everything and everyone would just agitate me even more."

All she could do was watch his face drop with disdain. Ga Eul had only met him once, but she had no idea how much damage So Hyun Sub inflicted mentally and emotionally on his own son.

And it reminded her of how little she knew of So Yi Jung and his past. The only thing she could say without doubt was that he loved Eun Jae…and that the person he hated most in the world was his playboy-like father. "Like father, like son" – how much did Yi Jung sneer at that phrase whenever he was compared do his father in regards to their family business?

Just as she felt her blood run cold, Yi Jung released a sigh next to her. He began walking forward, and she diligently followed.

"When those times came, I would run away here, to clear my head and start over. I would face my father again and put everything behind us…until he would just anger me in a matter of time."

He suddenly stepped in her path and faced her. Ga Eul looked up to see his dark eyes filled with resolve, and it relieved her that his story would have a happy ending.

"I cleared things up with him when I came back last month. We aren't exactly happy with each other, but we're working together at our family museum. He and I are more like business partners rather than family, but it doesn't bother me."

Ga Eul sighed with relief and smiled. "I'm glad. Hopefully, you two will make up a little bit more."

He doubted her wishes would ever come true, but Yi Jung responded with a tiny smile before turning back to continue walking. Together, they traveled through fields of organized flowers: first were lilies, and then sunflowers. As their scenery constantly changed around them, Ga Eul still felt mesmerized by everything. Here she was walking with So Yi Jung, the one she's loved for so long with unwavering feelings, and it was a dream come true for him to fully reciprocate her feelings. It was possible that he loved her even more, but he wouldn't outright declare it in the public.

"So what is this place, exactly?" she suddenly asked as she watched him step through the flowers. Ga Eul felt bad for stepping on some of them; it seemed like Yi Jung was gracefully flowing through, not even trying to mind his steps when he easily avoided the flowers, and she envied his apparent skill.

"I guess you could call it my hide-away – a cache," he confessed. "This is my favorite place in all of Korea…right after your side, of course." He quickly looked back at her with a smug grin, to which she just rolled her eyes.

Yi Jung reached out and took her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. Just when Ga Eul was caught off guard, he tugged her forward, looking down at her as she found her way next to him. As she realized where he stood, she had to keep herself from laughing out loud before gazing up into his eyes.

"You're happy right now?" she asked.

"Very."

She turned her face away just when the wild blush appeared, but Yi Jung was able to catch it on time.

"You're happy, too…right?"

That made her even more lightheaded, and it took her a moment to look back at him and nod. Satisfied, he sighed and switched his view back to the flowers. "I'm glad…These flowers were able to fulfill my wish."

Her eyes gave a quizzical expression. "Your wish…?"

Yi Jung nodded in response. "Whenever I wanted to make you happy, to see your smile…I came here to try and find a way to do just that."

Signs of the blush returned to her cheeks as a thought came to her head. "Exactly how many times…did you come here?" A part of her was afraid to learn of the answer, in case if there was yet another difference between them that would make her feel bad. Ga Eul always tried searching for an equal ground where they could stand on, with neither side giving more or less than the other. She wanted to be just as committed to their relationship as he was, but she feared that she would never be able to live up the her own expectations.

He simply looked over to her and smiled. "The groundskeeper here is my new best friend."

After her jaw felt like dropping to the ground, Ga Eul felt a tinge of guilt hit her at her side as she quickly looked away. What could she do to become the giver and stop being the receiver?

Yi Jung noticed her distress and instantly dropped the gleeful mask. "What's wrong?" he asked, leaning over to look at her face.

She returned the gaze and shook her head, giving him a small smile. "Nothing…nothing at all." Plans began rolling through her head, finding a way to return all the favors he had given her these past few months.

But for now, all she could do was fulfill his wishes. Reaching into her bag, Ga Eul pulled out a small silver camera and raised it in the air for him to see. As soon as he caught sight of it, Yi Jung easily received the message and smiled radiantly.

"All right," he said with a chuckle before moving his hands to Ga Eul's hips. Yi Jung rested his chin on her shoulder while she positioned the camera above them, aiming for a downward shot. She had to find a way - any way - to get her mind off of her drowning guilt. If he was always trying to make her happy, she had to do the exact same, or even better. If Yi Jung was deciding to be with her forever, she had to make it be worth it.

"One, two..." She plastered on her most childish smile possible before pressing the button and hearing the camera's sound. Once it was taken, she pulled it back to view the picture, Yi Jung peering over her shoulder to steal a glance. Immediately, a satisfied smirk played on his lips.

"No fair. You're prettier than me."

Ga Eul rolled her eyes at him while trying to hold back her own smile. It was so hard _not_ to be smitten by his teasing, even when she's heard it over and over again, and probably will for the rest of her life.

For the best, she decided to let it slide and prepped the camera once again. Now that her mood was brighter, which corresponded with Yi Jung's lighter mood, her smile turned happier than before, and became as satisfied as he was with the next one. Over and over again, they took pictures with the field as the background, each picture capturing their undeniable joy. There were many times he teased her just before the shot was taken, such as pecking on her cheek or making a face, and much to his surprise, Ga Eul didn't delete any of them. All she did was smile and prep the next shot.

"Oh, no," she said at the final picture and pouted. Yi Jung looked over her shoulder with wonder and examined the latest photo along with her. She was there, smiling wonderfully as always - at least, in his opinion. His own face, however, was barely featured; only the side of his face was able to fit in next to Ga Eul's.

"My aim was bad," she whined. As he looked down at her sad expression, Yi Jung was filled with quite the opposite feeling. He felt like bursting out with laughter at her smallest worries, but knew that it wouldn't help make her happier.

His eyes went back to the camera in time so see her finger moving toward the 'delete' button...and his smile instantly faded away. _'She's not...!'_

Once he saw that his fear was about to come true, Yi Jung acted fast. His arm swiftly moved around her shoulders and snatched the camera out of Ga Eul's hands, and she blinked with surprise with her hands in the same position. She looked over and saw Yi Jung carefully examining the picture she meant to delete, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

He looked over and gave a smile. "Let's keep this one."

But Ga Eul already dropped her jaw in protest. "Wait, I don't like that one!" She reached out to take it back from him, but Yi Jung raised his arm high in the air, the camera out of her reach.

As he laughed out loud with amusement, she continued begging for it back and got on her tiptoes to reach for the taken camera. No matter how much she whined and protested, Yi Jung still teased her with a smile on his face. "It's for future reference," he tried to explain. "So that you won't make the same mistake again." He quickly moved it all around them, keeping her from the chance to retrieve it back.

She felt like she had enough. With all her might, Ga Eul jumped up and found a place to grip on Yi Jung's shoulder. She used it as a balance with her right arm while she stretched out the other one toward the camera. Her balance was terrible, but she was close enough to claiming back her lost belonging...

Until she found herself tumbling forward with Yi Jung in front of her, his chest acting as a hard cushion. Ga Eul yelped just before his back hit the ground, her head missing his shoulder by the slightest bit. He groaned loudly, the impact taking its toll on his back, but he still found a way to wrap one arm around Ga Eul on top of him while the other still held onto the camera. Yi Jung could feel the moist dirt on his back, but it hardly mattered as he smiled once Ga Eul lifted her face.

"Yi Jung, are you okay?"

He managed to nod before chuckling softly, and Ga Eul could feel it coming up from his chest underneath her palm. It didn't take very long before she joined in his laughter, her worries blown away in the blink of an eye.

The fresh smell of flowers enveloped them along with the breeze, but it was the way the light hit her that made Yi Jung see how enchanting her natural features were. She didn't any cosmetics or fancy jewelry to sparkle in his eyes, so long as she stayed the way she was.

As he breathed a sigh of relief, his other hand released the camera and raised itself to softly brush against her cheek, and Ga Eul was left in a daze on top of him. Just a few strokes brought up a pink flush on her face, her eyes glued to his.

"You know," he started quietly. "This place always reminds me of you."

She blinked at his words and tried to understand what he meant. "Me?"

"Everywhere I look, there you are: bright, lively...and also captivating."

His words sent a powerful surge through her body that was impossible to resist. Her face lowered closer to his, and he reached up in an instant to retrieve her lips with his own. The scent of her skin was even more alluring than the flowers surrounding them, and a craving for more sent jolts throughout his skin. Likewise, Ga Eul ignored the need to pull away. She felt his heart racing beneath her hand along with her own, and the way he shaped his lips around hers made it too hard to deny the temptation.

All she could think about was how blessed she was to be with Yi Jung despite their initial disparities. It seemed like he would overrun her mind from now on, no matter how hard she tried to concentrate on anything else.

Ga Eul wished she had her own little garden, and wanted to visit it every single day.


End file.
